Painted x Blue
by Last Butterfly
Summary: Zutara, Blutara, PaintedZuko, PaintedBlue! All the same and all great! I'm going to write some shorter things here for these pairings... ZxK, PxB, BxK, PxZ. R&R please, I'm not too good in summaries... I've put it in "T" well... for chapter 11, 12 and 17.
1. Redemption

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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**Painted x Blue**

It all started with a wish, an inner need of helping someone. To be the one who heard the prayers. So how could it have ended like this?

She was pushed to the muddy paddle on the ground. Her disguise torn apart, the red paint from her face was washed away by the pouring rain. She coughed as she tried to pull herself up with her tied hands only to be dragged on her knees facing the sneer of one of her attackers.

He was rather harmless looking, really… the weaker from the two men. But fury shone in his golden eyes above a bruise on his face that was caused by her previous water whip. A failed attempt to get away.

„You're not that brave now, are you _wench_?" He hissed angrily only inches away from her face.

It was her fault she ended like this. She should have listened to her brother and simply turn her back on them. But this man was so desperate… she found him and his friend in the middle of the forest and he was pleading loudly to the spirits for help while he knelt next to the bigger one who – she knew now – was his brother. The man laid unconsciously on the ground, she thought he was ill or badly wounded… but she was tricked.

„Easy, bro…" Murmured the other. „She won't get away now."

Katara had a peek at the bigger man before turning her head away from both. None of them realized as a shadow appeared between the trees…

The bully's grasp hardened around her arm then he raised his other hand slapping her with full force for a while making her see the stars. „You look at us when you're talked to!"

„Now you must be proud of yourselves." The two turned in alert as a third spoke before stepping into the light only enough for them to see his mask's white parts that seemed luminescent through the shadows. „Hitting a woman when her hands are tied… it shows how low your honour is."

„The Blue Spirit…" Whispered the man further from her and she was about to turn there but the other man grabbed her hair. He turned her fully in the newcomer's direction but pulled her head mostly upwards so that the moon's light showed on her face.

„You've nothing to do with us!" Hissed this one, shaking the girl as she tried to squirm away. „This witch is a water bender! She'll get what she deserves for faking our guardian spirit…"

The masked man frowned behind his mask as his eyes wandered to the swollen-cheeked girl. Oh yes, he recognized her… „Let go of her." He said on an ordering voice.

The muscular thug brought his hand to the handle of his axe. „Bro, he's that guy who's wanted for freeing the avatar."

Katara's eyes slightly rounded as she finally had a peek at the third figure. _That voice…_

The man finally let go of her hair as he drew out a dagger from his boot. „Then this is our lucky day." He said and in a blink of an eye threw it towards the Blue Spirit.

They only saw as his mask moved and in the next moment a flash and the sound of metal meeting metal showed that the dagger did not hit.

The disguised prince narrowed his eyes as he took a step towards them. „You shouldn't have messed with her…" He said darkly and lifted his swords closer to his mask. The thugs gasped as the blades were set aflame. „Spirits never walk alone."

The duo's eyes widened as the prince charged towards them. He headed for the dagger-thrower knowing he's a bigger threat from the distance.

Before the guy could have thrown another dagger the flaming swords whirled aiming at him and he dropped the object that splashed into the mud.

The Blue Spirit aimed another hit towards his opponent before he also needed to jump away from the heavy axe of the second guy. When the axe's second strike hurried towards him he danced away and gritted his teeth as the next thrown dagger cut his right arm.

As the dagger splashed in the mud she knew her attackers made a mistake when they only tied her wrists before her. It was enough for her to wave with her arms to reveal the blade. A smile spread across her face as her wrists were free once again.

Zuko swore circling his wounded arm's shoulder then finally threw fire at the axed man making him fall back. But he didn't have any time left to move away from the dagger that flew towards his back…

The Blue Spirit was the most surprised when with a cracking sound the object stopped in an ice shield behind him. His eyes fell on the Painted Lady who stood straight in her stance with a smirk.

„You…" Was all their standing enemy managed to whisper because in the next moment a wave of water whirled him around slamming him to a tree where it froze.

The masked man took deep breaths as he lowered then put away his swords.

She eyed him warily before narrowing her eyes. She took some steps and raised her hat from the mud. With a wave of her hand it was cleaned and she put it back on her head before turning back to him, still remaining silent.

He lightly scowled. „Aren't you going to say something?" The girl only watched him through her veils. „Spirits are not used to waiting."

She narrowed her eyes even more as she crossed her arms. „You're not a spirit."

He made a slight smile. „And how do you know _that_ for sure?"

„I've met spirits, I know." She said then made a smirk pointing at his wounded arm. „But most of all: spirits don't bleed."

He turned his head so that he could see his wound through his mask. He made a pout before looking back at her. „So… will you at least _thank_ your saviour?"

She frowned at his masked face before she turned her head away. „I won't thank to the one who gained then threw away my trust…" His eyes widened for a while and when she looked back he knew she recognized him too. „He'd do the same with it anyway." She said with hurt in her voice.

He hardened his face. „The Painted Lady…" He started on a colder voice. „You've chosen a spirit close to my nation." He frowned behind the mask. „To get close to them and awake their hopes…" He turned away from her. „Their false hope they should cling onto…"

Katara's face concerned as she took a step towards him. „Hope is never false Zuko…" She said to him and raised her arm halfway towards him but stopped it in mid-air then pulled it in a fist to her chest. „You could still help us." She said and he almost felt as her eyes bore into his back. „We could still help you…" She whispered.

This time he tensed and looked back at her after straightening his back. „The prince of the Fire Nation needs nobody's help."

She frowned hardly at the tone of his voice then turned away from him with clenched fists and teeth. She couldn't even find the words she'd yell at him. _Damn him!_

„But a soul called Zuko…" He started and she relaxed immediately from the softness in his voice. „Is still searching for redemption…"

She didn't dare to move until his whisper flew away with a sudden breeze and she felt like she'd awoken from a dream as a chill ran down her spine.

„Zuko…" She whirled around reaching for the spot where he stood a while ago only to find no one there. He disappeared.

She drew her hand back, this time reaching in her pocket holding the familiar cold medal of her mother's necklace.

„We'll meet again." She whispered into the night as a concerned smile appeared on her face. „Blue Spirit…"

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A/N: Just a short I thought about... Now Zutara/Blutara/PaintedBlue/PaintedZuko are four ships if we count well... :) Love them all:D 

Comments are more than appreciated!


	2. Masquerade

I don't own anything.

**The Painted Blue Masquerade**

The gaang arrived to the city of Olane on the day of the summer festival. People ran around the city throwing posters of the night's biggest attraction: the masquerade.

As being the only opportunity to finally have fun and also dance Aang himself wanted to participate and even Sokka forgot their well-based plans for the day when he bumped into a pair of fire nation girls who asked him to join their shopping trip for the dance.

Toph and Aang bought a pair of clothing that matched together because the blind bandit said out straight that she wouldn't wear anything that looked even more humiliating than what the others wore for the night.

And Katara? She decided that she wouldn't waste more money when they didn't have much and she had her own disguise anyway.

That's how they arrived that night. Sokka with one of the girls, Toph with Aang, and Katara… well, alone. Though Aang told her he'd not let her leave without another dance… after all they were great last time.

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The Blue Spirit sprinted through the crowd of the high street of Olane. He was chased ever since he fled.

Now that the avatar was alive and even his father knew he had nothing else left. He hurried back to the prison tower unsure what his uncle would do with him. He wouldn't blame the old man if he'd told him to disappear or simply beat him… yell with him… But what waited for him he did not expect.

He fought his way through the guards inside, up to the highest floor, got the keys, ran in his cell… and when he turned the man on the floor his mouth stayed open. It was the guard. With tied hands and mouth. His uncle already left. And of course the guards didn't know that yet. And all blamed him after that…

„Hey, can't you see?" He bumped into a big stomached man who growled after him as he sprinted away from him in an alley. „Damn these kids nowadays…"

Even now guards were in his tail… but he was lucky. He was now the most wanted person over the Fire Nation. That's why he had to wear his disguise. Even the Blue Spirit had more peace than Prince Zuko would ever have from now on. And these guards only saw the spirit, not the prince… they would have been in more of a hurry if they knew his real identity. But they just didn't let him flee.

As he ran he realized that the people around him – boys and girls, mostly in pairs or little groups – all seemed to change. He saw masks… and unusual clothes…

When he looked ahead of him he found the reason: a great hanging sign with the word 'Masquerade'. He managed to smile behind his mask as he took deep breaths. He was about to disappear from his followers' sight.

He hurried through the last line of chatting couples and ran in the candle lighted dance hall.

* * *

The Painted Lady put down her glass when she finished her drink and turned towards the crowd of dancers again with a bored pout. Of course it was lame. She was alone… She made a sigh as she crossed her arms. The only connection between her and the crowd tonight was when a dancing pair just had to head towards her standing spot. And of course one of them stepped on her foot. Now she even had a hurting leg.

This couldn't get more exciting… that's what she thought when someone bumped into her from behind. She put a hand to her veiled hat and gritted her teeth before turning back. It was too much. „All right, you…!" She started with fury but when she saw who it was her mouth stayed open.

The man behind her wore a mask of blue and white. A mask she knew was from the Water Tribes… When she was younger she heard stories of the 'spirit of the night'. This… this mask… was just like that.

The Blue Spirit looked behind him with worry and when he saw the guards came in he quickly turned back to the girl he almost knocked over. When she started her rant he was afraid she'd bring more attention on them but she suddenly stopped he did not know why. He didn't have time to have a good look at her but made a bow then quickly reached out for her hand and pulled her to the dancing area.

She made a frown but did not protest because he whirled her around sooner than she'd expected. The man stood close to her with one hand on her waist, the other in her hand but when she looked up at him he turned his head to the side like he'd look at someone else.

_Well if he only wanted to spy on someone else… _She narrowed her eyes and stopped in their dance. That finally made him look at her. Ow, and what did he see… „Not like I wouldn't be flattered for your show off but if you're with someone else and just want to watch if she'd done nothing…"

_Her eyes… her voice… _He bit into his lower lip. _From all the girls in the world I had to run into her?! _He couldn't really listen to what she was talking about he just shook his head when she started mumbling about his spying or something he shook his head whirling her around again.

She hold on the black cloth on his arm as she felt dizzy from the spun but made a smile at his head-shaking. „So you're alone… tonight?"

He made a nod when she finally kept on dancing with him and he blew out a great amount of breath when the painted girl finally made a smile. „Then let's dance for real…" She said and he couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

She put her hand on his chest and pulled away from his arms as a mischievous smile appeared on her features. He swallowed. _The way she's looking at me…_

Katara clapped her hands and started to dance around him in a circle. While he was watching her movements that – as a gift of being water tribe – were fluid like a river itself he tensed as he realized others started to watch them. _She's too good…_ When she reached in front of him again he reached out for her hand and pulled her closer to him trying to make her stop.

When she looked at him he looked around then slightly shook his head. She realized now that others were watching them… but all she did was smiling up at him. „Are you shy?" She asked teasingly.

He scowled behind the mask. He should have kept a low profile but the way her voice teased… the way her blue eyes shone at him… He made a final smirk as he whirled her around then caught her again. He was never afraid of any challenge…

Her eyes rounded at the change of his moves and she had to realize that he did not even start dancing before.

The music fastened with their dance. Now all the crowd around kept on watching them but they did not care. Their movements perfectly fit together as they circled each other and the area the other couples left for them. When he spun her around one last time the song ended when she stood leaning on his chest looking up at him unknowing that his eyes focused on her more than anyone else's.

Applauses and claps sounded around them and he almost jumped as a hand slammed on his shoulder. „All right guys, congratulations." When they both looked at the speaking man they saw he was the leader of the music band. „You have been the chosen pair of the night. Come to the stage for the announcement."

Katara made a wide smile while his eyes went wide.

„Wow…" She said looking at him. „I didn't know they were chosing anyone."

_If only they hadn't… _He didn't move when she looked up at him.

„Is something wrong?" She asked as he tensed in his stance. „You said you're alone…"

He started shaking his head. _But I can't go up there… now… _He looked around if he could see the guards who were in his tail but quickly turned back when she let out a scream.

She almost got a heart attack when two other dancer lifted her up on their shoulders and headed with her towards the stage.

His mouth stayed open and he was about to leave the spot when three or four other guys lifted him up the same way.

While she arrived with a wide smile on the stage where the band's singer stood already he waved and grabbed one of his carriers with a hiss. „Put. Me. Down."

Unfortunately for him the guy just looked up at him with a wide smile. „Oh come on dude, if she had come with me I wouldn't hesitate."

The Blue Spirit gritted his teeth but before he could have answered his legs were pushed on the stage too.

With the band behind him, he faced the Painted Lady and the crowd watched them with excitement from his right. _End of low profile…_

„Well yeah…" The singer started and made the crowd silent. „Here's the pair of the night folks!" The crowd cheered loudly for them when he went on. „The best dancers I've seen since I've stopped dancing myself…" Some of them laughed while the others just shook their heads. „So…" He started turning towards the two. „Thank you guys for the fantastic attraction! Hope we'll see you again next year and…"

This was the time when somebody from the crowd made a yell. „Kiss!" Zuko thought he heard wrong.

But as others joined into the yell the singer made a wide smile. „Oh come on guys, they probably wouldn't want to…"

„Kiss, kiss, kiss!" The crowd went on and the pair looked at each other with wide eyes.

_They gotta be kidding…_

The singer made a wide smile as he waved to the band that started to play a light song. „Well guys, it seems you have no choice…" The crowd kept on yelling.

Katara looked at the crowd then back at him. _Well… _A smile appeared on the edge of her lips as the song started. _If they all want to see a kiss…_

The Blue Spirit stood like he'd waited for the world's end. He jumped when the singer's palm fell on his shoulder again. „Hey kid, not to bug you, but this mask's going to be in the way…" His eyes rounded as he felt his mask's bindings were opened. _Damn! _But when he reached for it the singer lifted the mask so the crowd saw it was off. If he hadn't stood with his scar towards the wall he'd be dead now. But when he saw the water bender's round eyes then her angered frown up close he had to realize it was almost the same.

She looked at the face he never wanted to see again. The one who was his enemy and will always be that. _How did he dare to be here?! How did he dare to act like he'd been someone else!_ As the crowd started yelling again her fists clenched. _How can they think that I'd ever kiss him?! _

His thoughts raced. _This is bad… _Her face darkened before him. He had a peek at the yelling crowd and his eyes fell on the guards he thought he got rid of. _Damn…_ Without thinking he stepped to her and pulled her into a kiss.

_He is… _Her eyes widened as his arms slid around her waist and for a moment she forgot everything. She forgot the crowd around them, she forgot who he was… she forgot who she was… She only concentrated on his golden eyes as her arms wandered upwards on his arms. _I am…_

Only one thought remained in his mind as she kissed him back. _She knows if I get caught, she gets caught too. _As her hand reached up to his face this thought changed. _But gods how different this kiss was from those I had before…_

As the crowd started clapping again he slowly pulled away from her.

Her eyes remained locked with his for a moment. _We have… _As she realized his arms were still around her, she frowned hardly again then slapped him on his unscarred cheek before she hurried away from the stage… away from him. The crowd did not try to block her way.

The singer whistled once when Zuko picked out his mask from his hands. „Well…" He started towards the crowd again. „It seems his hands wandered lower than she'd expected, right?" Part of the crowd laughed again as his face flashed behind his tied mask. When his eyes caught sight of the guards who came towards the stage from where she disappeared he turned on his heel and started running in the opposite direction.

_Was there any point at all of coming here? _He ran through a door and ended on an alley behind the building when he realized it started to rain. He quickly threw a barrel to the door behind him then was about to bend the handle when ice circled the doorway locking it entirely.

As he whirled around and looked upwards the Painted Lady stood on the edge of the roof looking down at him. „I never turn my back on people who need me."

For a moment he just watched her. As the girl didn't say more he made a bow. _Oh yes, there was… _The Blue Spirit thought then disappeared into the night.

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_A/N: Yeah, I've left reality a bit here... :) But I still like it, so let me know what you think. Thanks for your time! _


	3. Reliable

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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**Reliable**

The blue eyed waterbender knitted the thin bindings of a royal blue dress around her neck then quickly put on a long sleeved transparent shirt with the same colour that ended not much lower then the dress started. With one brush on her hair that was held up in a bun with a blue and white hair clasp, which had the shape of a flame she stepped out of the dressing room without having a look at how she looked.

Because she had something she trusted more than mirrors. _Someone_, to be exact. The only one she knew was more reliable than any mirror ever could be.

She made a smile as she caught sight of him while he was leaning to the wall with crossed arms. _Just as he used to be... _She thought to herself before yelling to him with a bright smile. "What do you think, Zuko?"

He left his arms on their place but his eyes lightly lit up as he looked at her.

She spun around before him and stopped looking at him over her shoulder. "So... with the shirt?" She asked then quickly took it off turning again to look at him through her other shoulder. "Or without it?"

She could see the difference on his face. It was almost too easy. He made one of his usual half-smirks as he saw her with only the dress and she stepped to him kissing him once on the lips before heading back to change again with waving the shirt once. "Without it. I thought so..."

Her smile returned when she started to change into another one and her thoughts wandered back to the first time she realized Zuko's 'practical use'...

----- PAST -----

"You must try this one." The Dragon of the West said taking off a dress from the shelf and putting it in her hands. In the meantime a rather annoyed banished prince crossed his arms for the hundredth times letting out a growl.

Katara looked at the fabric in her hands with a slight frown. "I'm not sure..." She started but when she heard Zuko she had a glance to the side then held the dress closer to her before turning back to the old man. "All right, I'm trying it!"

Iroh made a smile at the girl as she went in the dressing room then shot a dark look towards his nephew. "Zuko, can't you be a bit nice just for once?" He whispered but the teen only sulked on. "You could have stayed at home... you knew we'd have been fine."

This time the banished prince finally turned towards his uncle. "And leave you _alone_ again on a market _with money?!_ " He snapped then turned away again. "Never. Again."

"Then at least stop complaining." The old man said scolding.

"I didn't say a word..." The prince murmured.

Iroh knitted his eyebrows "You know well what I meant."

Zuko clenched his teeth. "You don't want me around? Fine!" He spat out turning on his heel and heading for the entrance. "Then I'll wait outside!" He yelled and Iroh rubbed the bridge of his nose as he got out of sight. _How much time will he need to get some manners around girls? He got grumpier ever since she agreed to join to my 'shopping trip'..._

"I'm done!" The girl stepped out from behind the curtains with the dress.

He turned towards her and his mouth stayed open. "Oh my god, Miss Katara this is wonderful!" The Dragon of the West said with enthusiasm in his voice.

"I don't know..." The waterbender answered with a raised eyebrow as she watched herself in the mirror next to the dressing room. "It's not exactly my type. Besides this colour..." The silk dress she wore was not revealing, it fitted her and covered her skin everywhere it should. But somehow it just kept on showing every inch of her real form and she was not exactly used to that. But above all this, the main problem was that this dress was... pink.

"Nonsense... colours are to wear them." Iroh went on quickly. "Now I understand why your brother kept on saying he'd defend you! You must have had many admirers..." He said with a joking voice while smiling at her and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, not really." Katara said turning before the mirror to have a better look at herself from the sides better. "And he only keeps on _saying_ that, because most of the time I am the one who needs to defend him..." She told him with a bright smile before turning back to the mirror. "But I really don't think this dress would be..."

Iroh shook his head immediately. "Leaving it here would be a shame! Believe me it is worth far more than what it costs. But if you needed another opinion..." He said then bowed his head to the side. "Nephew! Come and tell us what you think about this!"

_Now what? _Zuko heaved a sigh looking up at the sky for a while before turning to the shop with a frown on his face. _If they think I'll wait through another dress-up time then they're wrong! _As he came closer to them his uncle's back covered the waterbender out of his sight.

Iroh peeked back at the boy. "Now what do you think Zuko? Isn't she beautiful?"

Zuko's forehead furrowed. _Gods, what is it again? _Finally he stepped next to his uncle and already opened his mouth to say something rude before she turned towards him.

His voice remained lazily at the back of his throat as the dress flew around her hips and legs. He knew he was about to say that 'whatever she had found they were leaving it there'. But all what escaped his mouth sounded like: "Whae... Wu... Khmm..."

Katara made a smile raising her eyebrows and when both she and Iroh started laughing his face turned to a crimson colour before he could have turned away.

"All right, we can take this!" The waterbender said to Iroh still giggling.

The Dragon of the West made a wide smile at the back of his nephew again. "Can we take this then, Zuko?" He asked teasingly knowing well that this time his nephew insisted on not buying anything without his acceptance.

Hearing his name the prince crossed his arms again as his face slowly turned back to normal. "Fine by me..." He said on a low and faked uncaring voice before hurried out of the shop leaving his uncle in a very good mood and the waterbender deep in her thoughts.

He only knew this because before leaving he had one last peek at them. And when he saw her again...

The dress gloriously covering her while she held her necklace's medallion in her hand and only her cheeks' pink colour could race with the cloth's similar one.

Zuko couldn't help making a slight smile before turning away. _She's truly beautiful..._

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_ Ok, this one is not Painted Lady and Blue Spirit, but I decided to use this short story collection for more Zutara stuff also.. _

_This short could fit into my longer story, the All I Need - check out if you haven't seen it ;) - but I don't think I can paste it into that, but I also wanted to upload something now..._

_Tell me what you think, critiques are also welcome... _


	4. The Cake

I don't own anything... not like you wouldn't know that... :p

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„No!" yelled someone and almost instantly sounded a crashing sound. 

„Great! Now you've ruined it!" came the voice of a certain firebender prince.

„You can't blame me because you were unable to hold it for a second!" snapped the girl in blue.

Golden eyes narrowed dangerously as their owner argued back. „I didn't even have time to hold it before you dropped it!"

„It's not true!" she yelled on a higher voice and darkened her face as he started smirking.

He leaned forward to make it more convenient he was taller. His smirk widened when he saw her fury and spoke on a taunting voice adding into it his usual remark about her. "Face the truth, peasant!"

Her eyes slightly widened before her eyebrows snapped together. „I hate you! You… you egotestical, annoying – mhph!"

Her rant was interrupted with a sudden movement of his – she was silenced with his lips placed on hers and was kept in her place by his hands on her face.

Her eyes rounded in surprise and stayed that way as he drew away. He watched her for her reaction and as he faced with total surprise and confusion his lips curled upwards. This snapped her out of her shock and frowned at him angrily, which took his confidence away. „Did you just kiss me?" she asked furiously.

His smile faded and he pulled his hands away from her face as he took a step back. His face turned to a crimson colour and he decided that perhaps this was not as a good idea as he had thought.

She smiled triumphantly on the inside as her angered expression hit him totally. She took a step closer to him and stated. „Never. Without. My permission."

He looked away and started mumbling as she started grinning. „Well… I… this…" In the next moment he was grabbed by his shirt's collar and brought eye-leveled with a pair of blue eyes.

Her smile spread across her face as she said: „Now, I allow…" And she wrapped her arms around his neck as she took her turn in kissing.

His arms trailed around her waist as he returned it and they stayed like that even after their lips finally parted.

Their foreheads were connected as they smiled and looked in the other's eyes.

Then she brought her fingers up to stroke his hair and widened her smile. „So whose fault it was again…?"

He thought for a moment as he took things into consideration then made another smirk. „Totally yours." He was instantly punched in the arm with a hiss but yet he chuckled then kissed the frowning girl on her forehead. „Let's clean up the mess, shall we?"

She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. „Suddenly how helpful you are Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

„Oh… I'm always this helpful."

„Really?" she asked ironically and giggled lightly as she was kissed again.

„Really." Then he stepped away to face the ruins of a once-was-a-cake and his expressions changed to a frown.

Katara seemed to have the same feelings about starting it again because she suddenly asked. „How many times we've tried to make this cake for your uncle?"

Zuko rolled his eyes as he stepped next to its ruins. „Probably more than how old he is…"

* * *

A/N: Well... I wrote this one quite some time now... It seems I developed since then at least a little bit, but I still liked this shortie and thought it would fit in. Tell me what you think, thank U 


	5. How Young You Are

You know I don't own the show...

* * *

How Young You Are…

"D-damn it..." The firebender growled through gritted teeth. He was limping because of a fresh wound on his thigh. The water tribe warrior supported him with holding one of his arms while they slowly reached back to their camp.

They ran into some unexpected headhunters while they were hunting in one of the Earth Kingdom's many forests. Unfortunately they were better than the duo had thought...

"All right… we're here!" Sokka said pulling once on the prince's arm while they entered a small tent and in the next moment he managed to help the other sit down.

The water tribe warrior's eyes wandered out to their camp then back at the firebender's lowered head. "I should go and get Katara. She will…"

"No…" Zuko said and looked up taking deep breaths. "Just get my uncle…"

Sokka knitted his eyebrows at the other's stubbornness and went on with a hurried voice. "But Katara…" Though he was quickly silenced as a fist grabbed his shirt and the fist's owner narrowed his golden eyes.

"Get. My. Uncle."

"All right!" Sokka answered on a higher voice than usual and lifted his hands before him until the other let go of him. "I'll get your uncle... just stay here."

The prince held his wound and tried to ignore the thought of how much blood seemed to soak the cloth he was wearing when he made a scowl up at him. "Like I'd go _anywhere…_"

Sokka made a bitter smile as he turned to leave.

When the prince was sure the other boy couldn't hear him anymore he let out a painful groan as he pushed down both his hands on the still bleeding wound.

"Zuko!" The prince silenced at once as a female voice called out for him and in the next moment the waterbender hurried into the tent. "What happened?" She asked quickly already holding her waterskin.

_I told him not to call her! _He shot a furious look at her form. "Nothing to worry about… Just go and get my uncle."

The girl's gaze already wandered to his thigh and her eyes widened slightly as she saw his hand that was almost red from blood. She pulled on his arm to see the wound clearly. "You're bleeding bad!"

The firebender gritted his teeth putting back his hand. "It's not too deep." He said still looking furious.

Katara's eyebrows snapped together when looking in his eyes. "Really? Sokka said he had to carry you back here!" Zuko blew out a great amount of breath through his nostrils and the air mixed with smoke.

She waited as long as he gave up and finally looked away and also let her move his hand away. She examined the wound with her waterskin in her hand and frowned as it seemed more serious than she'd first thought. "All right…" She looked up at the sulking prince who crossed his arms and bended out some water of the pouch to her hand. "It's too big, I can't reach it. Take your pants off."

His face flashed for a moment. If there was something he didn't want to hear, then this was it. He turned back to her with round eyes and he snapped at once. "No!"

"What?" She raised one of her eyebrows.

"I said no!"

The waterbender's mouth opened and when it reached her mind that the stubborn boy would rather bleed to death then let her help him made her anger rose. She shook her head annoyed before looking back at him. "Are you crazy?! I said you're bleeding bad!"

Two pairs of narrowed eyes locked together and the tension seemed to rise around them when it was finally broken by a newcomer: Iroh.

He hurried into the tent almost moving it from its place as he pushed himself through the opening. "Zuko! Are you all right?" He could hardly ask when the waterbender let out a frustrated groan.

She stood up turning towards the retired general with a darkened face. "Talk… talk with him!" She almost shouted pointing straight at the wounded firebender who was behind her. "Talk with your nephew or I don't know what I'm going to do with him!" She shot one dark look back at him who responded in kind before she hurried out of the tent. "I'll come back!" She snapped before leaving the two alone.

Iroh watched with raised eyebrows as the girl fumed out of the tent then slowly turned to his nephew who sat with crossed arms and a frown. "Nephew… what was this about?"

The prince stopped glaring at the spot where the blue eyed girl disappeared. "She wanted me to take off my pants and I said no." He said like this would have been the most usual thing on the world.

The old man had to force himself not to smile and made a cough. "I see… and why?"

Zuko looked ahead of him angrily while the old man kneeled down next to him and only then did he turn to him and snapped out. "I'm Not going to take off my pants in front of a girl, even if she's a healer!"

Iroh lowered his head as he tried, but couldn't help laughing out loud.

The prince's eye twitched once. "How can you just laugh at your nephew who's badly wounded?" The old man still shook with laughing when he frowned angrily at him. "Uncle!"

He dried one of his eyes as his laugh slowly died out. "I'm sorry." He managed to say before looking at him. As the boy looked at him with his pride hurt he put a hand on his shoulder. "But sometimes I just forget how young you are..."

The prince gave him a slight confused look and opened his mouth to speak again when the waterbender returned and stepped in the tent. "All right, we'll settle this." She said putting a hand on her hip and looked at the older man. "Iroh, if you don't mind…"

"No, no…" The old man said and stood up, leaving while his nephew glared at his back. "Just do what you need to."

When the firebender brought his gaze back at Katara she sat down next to him with her water already circling above her opened palm. "So you won't take it off?" She asked.

He quickly regained his previous thinking and gave her a furious glare. "No."

"All right…" The girl made a smirk and he shifted in his place as she did so. In the next moment she moved her hand swiftly and the water froze into a dagger in it making Zuko jump in his place.

"What are you…?!" He started but couldn't finish as with a quick move she cut his trousers on his wounded leg from his knee up to his waist, finally revealing his wound.

He was gaping at the girl who made another smirk waving her water to surround her hand with glowing. She finally started healing his wound but couldn't help remarking something though. "Red underwear… why am I not surprised?"

The retired general snickered outside the tent when his nephew's voice sounded from the inside. "S-shut up!" He could imagine the boy's face.

"Woo…" The waterbender beamed inside. "I truly hit a nerve if you can still blush with this much blood-loss."

The prince let out a groan but didn't answer her after that.

Some minutes later Katara let out a sigh but made a smile at the prince. "We're done." Zuko looked down at his leg then back at the girl with narrowed eyes as her smile widened. "Well, was _this_ so hard?"

His face darkened as she stood up. "Witch..." He murmured but it did not change her smile as she slightly shook her head.

"No need to thank me…" She said leaving the tent and she nodded Iroh so he could go in now.

When the old man stepped in his nephew sat still with clenched fists glaring towards the leaving girl. "No, I _will_ thank you!" He waved with his arms once and fire followed his fists as he yelled after her. "Thanks for ruining my pants!"

The girl stopped in her place for a moment then let out a growl herself before she disappeared from their sight… but that was enough for the prince to smirk. _Yeah… she got it..._

When Iroh cleared his throat next to him, Zuko turned to look at him and as the old man raised one of his eyebrows disapprovingly he finally asked. "What? _She_ was the one who started mocking me…"

The retired general crossed his arms with a knowing smile. "You _do_ know she's the only one who can fix that, don't you?"

Zuko's smirk faded fully as he looked down at the remainder of his trousers. _Shoot…_

* * *

_A/N: I couldn't help finally writing this! I thought about it sometime ago and just couldn't get it out of my head._

_Let me know what you think about this! (And the other shorts, after all these are just for fun and improving...)_


	6. New Year's Eve

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

The stars shone brightly on the cloudless sky above the Fire Nation Capitol. The war ended more than half a year ago and tonight a festival took place in the Fire Palace where all the nations' bravest and most well-known benders and warriors gathered to celebrate the New Year.

The huge hall was filled with people of all ages who talked, laughed or danced while two different bands of musicians played for them. And on one of the balconies, among the shadows stood one of the world's heroes and the last waterbender of the Southern Watertribe.

She wore a long royal blue dress, which sleeves only covered her arms leaving her shoulders free - because in the Fire Nation even the winters seemed too warm according to any other place where she'd been. Her hair fell behind her and only her hair-loopies and a little bun reminded anyone of her once used hairstyle.

She was watching the night sky and the half moon above when she heard silent footsteps behind her. She only needed a side glance towards the newcomer to know who it was.

"Hey..." The once banished prince stepped next to her and after a slight smile and a tired look he also turned towards the sky.

She made a slight frown looking at him as he didn't say more. "Isn't the Fire Lord supposed to be _inside_ entertaining his guests?"

"Exactly." He started and his lips curled upwards into his usual smirk without looking at her. "That's why he is satisfied with himself now that he could get away..." She also made a smile when he turned towards her. "And why aren't you there?"

She made a grimace and he saw that her hands clenched on the balcony's bars when she shot an angry look ahead of herself. "_Thanks to my only and lovely brother... _every single male in that hall knows that the necklace I wear is from my mother." Her fingers released the bars and she turned to look behind her at the hall's doors. "So they all kept on following me and it was... not funny."

His smirk returned when she let out a frustrated sigh crossing her arms. "And how did you get away?" He asked lightly amused... he always thought Katara liked attention. But at least for now - it seemed like she had had enough attention for about the whole next year...

The girl made a slight smile. "Let it remain my secret..." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe I'll have to use it on you once."

"Oh." His smile widened at this when both of them turned towards the moon again.

"You know..." After some minutes it was her who went on. "It's not fair."

He raised an eyebrow looking at her again. "What's not fair?"

For a moment she remained silent then the edge of her lips curled upwards just before she shook her head. "Nothing, forget it..."

This time he turned to her fully with a slight scowl. "Come on, what did you want to say?"

She made a pout without looking at him and slightly leaned forward on the bars. "I wanted to be lucky this year..."

His right eyebrow rose before he spoke. "And what would be in your way for that...?"

"It's just..." She heaved a sigh and elbowed on the bars. "They say if you kiss someone at midnight you'll be lucky the next year." She knitted her eyebrows without recognising that he placed one of his hands next to her on the bars and slowly made a step backwards. "But now that all those jerks are looking for me I can't even breathe without them noticing it..."

When she saw that his other hand appeared on her other side of the bars she straightened up. She realized he stood right behind her as her shoulders brushed the smooth clothing he was wearing and felt as he slightly bowed his head to whisper in her ears. "How lucky we are that they don't know where you are..."

A chill ran down her spine and when she turned in her place to face him her cheeks had a pink colour. "W-what are you doing?"

"Well..." Zuko's smirk returned when he had a peek behind his back. "It's almost midnight." His golden eyes returned towards her wonderful blue ones which met his in a half confused, half worried way... like that time a long time ago when he found her by the trail of a certain waterbending scroll. "And I want to be lucky this year..."

She would have taken a step back but they were so close... almost as close as the bars behind her. His smirk changed to a light smile when the crowd in the hall suddenly started shushing and slowly turned their voices down. Midnight was closer than she'd thought.

Her heart beat faster with every passing moment she held his gaze. And then the crowd behind the doors started counting loudly in union downwards from ten. "Ten... Nine... Eight..."

His smirk appeared again when he formed the words also. "Seven... Six..." She peeked away from his golden eyes and her thoughts raced with her beating heart. _Should she let him...? Should she run...?_

"Five..." When she turned away from him his eyebrows furrowed but he counted once more. _If she doesn't want it then I won't force it out of her... _His smile faded when her head remained lowered but he tried once more."Four..."

He was about to stop. He already started to take a deep breath and decided to let her run off when through closed eyes Katara slowly said with the crowd. "Three..."

Her eyes rose up to meet his one and, when he saw the smile at the edge of her lips, his one returned. "Two..." She said slowly leaning even closer to him and as her hand fell on his chest she felt a heartbeat almost as wild as hers.

"One..." The duo spoke the last together when their faces were only inches away and when the crowd inside the dancing hall started yelling and shouting their lips connected. It all started with a light and almost gentle peck... but as they held on longer it slowly turned deeper and filled with passion when their hands trailed away from their original places.

Her arms wrapped around his neck but her hands slowly moved higher, one started stroking the left side of his face, while the other wandered freely in his raven hair.

His arms curled around her slim waist immediately, but when he felt her hand upon the scarred half of his face, they slowly slipped downwards – even though he stopped himself when his hands rested on her hips as he decided not to reach lower...

The two lost in the moment but when the hall's doors opened behind them their kiss broke and they both looked there with round eyes when a green clothed girl with a warrior make-over stormed out of it.

"Suki, wait!" A certain water tribe warrior shouted. "I didn't know what that girl was about to do, I swear!" His blue eyes was on the girl but when he stepped outside the corner of his eyes caught sight of two persons in red and blue – in each others embrace - his gaze glued there.

The Kyoshi warrior's face was dark when she hurried away not even looking back. "I don't care if you knew it or not! You've let her kiss you!"

Her angry voice snapped him out of his temporary shock and he immediately turned towards her disappearing form. "Wait! Su..." He started yelling but like he had only realized what he'd seen his head turned back to the place the duo stood a moment before... but they disappeared.

He let out a deep breath rubbing his forehead with relief as he murmured before him. "Gods, it was just the sake..." He shook his head then turned on his heels to run after the girl. "Suki, come back! She was just joking! I don't want a thing from that girl!"

When his footsteps died down Katara's blue eyes peeked out from behind a pillar, which Zuko leaned onto. "Huh... that was close." She said looking back at him.

He smirked while his arms still rested around her waist, just as hers on his chest. "Luck, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." She made a smile and slowly leaned her head on his shoulder looking up at the moon with him. "We must be lucky."

* * *

_A/N: This is my first Zutara fluff of 2008! With this I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Don't let anything - or anyone - let you down! ;)_

_Oh, and tell me what you think about it... I really want to know!_

_The next one is going to be PaintedBlue once I'll have time to write it down. Tomorrow I'm going to fail on my first exam so I could use some cheer ups..._


	7. The End of It All

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I've been away for a while... and I had some problems with starting to write again, so I hope this one here will stop that. 

So, originally the first, short part of this chap. was supposed to be another not truly full idea, but as I knew I'm not going to make that part longer, I used it as a base to the second half...

And I finally needed some fluff. Hope you like it...

* * *

**The End of It All**

...when the blue lightning ran through him Zuko stopped. For a moment he just stood in his place watching his sister's fuming fingertips then lowered his head to see the burning edges of his shirt and the place where it hit. The only one who dared to move was the avatar who sent an airwave towards the attacker. Then the fire prince fell.

Before he could have reached the ground a pair of tan skinned arms caught him trying to lessen his impact with the cold marble floor. Katara held him in her arms as his body shivered. Her eyes filled with tears when she whispered to him. "Zuko... you can't do this with me..." A tear ran down her face "Don't die..." She closed her eyes when he squeezed her hand and she leaned forward pressing her forehead to his. "I love you..."

He winced for a moment then let out a deep breath looking up at her. He slowly lifted his hand to her face to stroke her cheek and even wore one of his rare smiles when she looked at him again. "I love you too..." He whispered and she smiled down at him looking straight in his golden eyes.

But the moment flew away as his gaze suddenly turned upwards and his eyes started to close. Fear filled up from inside of her and she clenched in his shirt. "Zuko don't!" His eyelids trembled as he tried to stay awake... he really tried... but the pain didn't leave him to do so.

In the same moment when the prince's eyes closed a pair of grey eyes and blue arrows finally started to glow for the first time since the avatar himself felt the pain of the princess' strike.

Their enemies stumbled backwards in the hard wind that surrounded them in the fire palace's throne room as the last airbender's body lifted up from the ground. _I'm sorry Katara..._ He thought to himself. _I'm sorry I couldn't be the one you chose..._ Katara's blue eyes shone up at him through tears before she turned back to the fallen prince with glowing hands. _But it is time to let go..._

The glowing spread through the room as all the previous avatars' ultimate power concentrated in the 13-year-old monk. As the pair of glowing eyes turned towards the Fire Lord the boy spoke on a voice alien from his own. "Fire Lord Ozai, it is over."

* * *

_White…_ When the prince finally opened his eyes all he saw around him was the white colour. The ceiling, the walls, the sheets… 

He lifted up one of his arms – in truth he was surprised that he's still able to do that – and even his hand seemed almost white but after all he had always been pale.

He slowly sat up using his arms to shift his weight on them, remembering the pain he felt – the last thing he remembered – but now it seemed to be long gone. _Am I dead…?_

His eyes scanned the perfect room, which was almost empty except the bed he was on, and a table in one of the corners, and now he saw that there's a mirror standing on it next to a basin.

He pulled off the sheets, only to find part of his upper body in white bandages and in trousers – also white.

By the time he stood up he felt dizzy, as if he had been lying for far too long to suddenly walk, but slowly he managed to get to the table with unsteady legs.

His eyes caught sight of clear water in the basin there and almost instantly reached in it and splashed some of it to his face that way forcing himself to truly wake up.

He repeated the process once more then came to a halt when both of his hands rested above his eyes, because he felt something _really _strange…

He slowly removed his hands while looking downwards only to find them shaking. For a moment he was glaring at the water in the basin then slowly let his eyes wander to the table, then the lower edge of the mirror.

He only saw a part of his reflection from the corner of his eyes, because he didn't move his head from its lowered state before, so he decided to slowly straighten up.

The bandages… his shoulders… his neck… his chin and…

His eyes went wide when he finally saw the upper half of his face. He let out a gasp and immediately stumbled backwards, which - thanks to his dizziness – made him end up on his rear meanwhile kicking in the table where the basin shakily twisted, then rolled off next to him loudly colliding with the ground.

He was still glaring ahead of him in the mirror, straight at the left side of his face, even when he heard hurried footsteps and the creaking of the door. There he saw something unlike in the last three years: perfect, flawless, pale skin. His scar… disappeared.

"Zuko! You're awake!" The first one who ran through the doorway was the waterbender. When she saw the stunned Zuko sitting next to the table and looking at the mirror with opened mouth she stopped and kneeled down to him with a giggle. "Are you all right, _handsome_?"

He blinked for the first time he woke up and he slowly turned towards her. "You…" His voice was low and hoarse but he didn't care. "Did you…?"

Katara smiled at him but he surprised even more when she slowly shook her head. "No, it was not me." He was gaping at her without really knowing what to say… "We didn't understand it first either. After I mostly healed the effects of Azula's strike, you didn't wake up for days." She went on while brushing his hair out of his eyes with her hand. "It was understandable, after all Aang went through it once before, but unlike him you started to have a bad fever. Then your uncle said…"

His eyes immediately lit up. "Uncle's here?"

"Oh, of course… you don't know, you were asleep." She said then quickly went on. "He arrived not much later you passed out, and kept Azula occupied so that Aang could…" She hesitated a moment and looked to the side when she finished. "Defeat him."

When she peeked back at Zuko he didn't say anything. He looked downwards with a solemn expression as he made a slight nod. He knew from the beginning what was going to happen when he joined the avatar's group… and he couldn't say that his father would have deserved a better fate than what he got. After all he did not show mercy either when he gave him his mark. And now he remained only a memory, just as his mark…

"But, if you didn't heal me…" He looked back at her with now perfectly matching golden eyes. "Then how…?"

Katara made a gentle smile. "Your uncle said something about a metamorphosis…" Zuko frowned as he heard that word again, remembering his fever after Lake Laogai. "He said that you've stopped it back in Ba Sing Sei somehow, but frankly…" She said then peeked behind her changed to a lower voice. "I didn't really understand what he said because he spoke in proverbs."

The prince made a genuine smile looking upwards for a minute. _Finally, someone who understands what it felt like._

"He said…" She started and slightly bit in her lower lip before he turned to her again. "You needed to find inner peace to heal yourself." Zuko looked downwards for a moment while a smile crossed his face that seemed so perfect now that a part of her knew already that she's going to be jealous in the future for sure because of him. "But you've fallen before it would have been over. You didn't know if we'd won… then how did you do it?" Knowing golden eyes slowly locked with unsure blue ones. "What did you find peace in?"

"Don't you know?" He asked on a low voice and slightly leaned closer to her lifting up a hand to stroke the side of her face. "I've dreamed about an angel…" He whispered and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling away only enough to see her expressions.

She smiled brightly for a while but it slowly changed into a smirk. "For your sake I hope it was me." He let out a snicker nodding once, when she pulled him closer wrapping her arms around his neck. "And in that dream… did I do this?" She kissed him passionately while her fingers trailed up to his hair in the process that sent slight shivers down his spine.

The two enjoyed themselves until from the side they heard someone clearing his throat.

Sokka, Aang and Toph stood in the doorway, looking at them.

Katara slightly scooted away from him, and Zuko's eyes wondered around all of them while making a slight smile. "Are you all ok?"

"Yeah, we've managed…" The avatar said rubbing his neck with a wide smile then peeked at the blind bandit who was leaning to the doorway. "You know, we'd have come sooner if Toph hadn't sunk us into the floor two times just for the fun of it."

Toph shrugged with a smirk then winked at the two. "I just wanted to give you some alone time, no need to thank me though."

Katara let out a light giggle before both she and Zuko turned to look at the third boy in the room.

Sokka stood with crossed arms looking at the two with an unreadable stare. After a seemingly long minute of silence, which made him sure that the tension was high enough, he finally closed his eyes heaving a sigh. "I still say if the two of you are together you're going to do a great deal of damage in your surroundings…" He said then after opening his eyes he made a shrug. "But why should I care? This is your place from now on, isn't it?"

Katara got to her feet and almost jumped in her brother's neck. "Oh, Sokka! You're the best!" He finally let her be with the one she wanted and there were not many things he could have said that would have made her happier.

"Yeah, yeah…" The water tribe warrior said patting his sister's back once before she'd pulled away. Then let his eyes return to the still sitting other. "Do you plan to get up from there so that we could finally have lunch? I'm starving!"

"Sure." The smirk that was on Zuko's face since Sokka talked reduced when he got to his feet.

Aang and Toph left the room together and already laughed about something outside when Katara joined them. Then the prince realized that suddenly there was another silent moment when he and Sokka were watching the other suspiciously. Of course… he should have counted on this.

The silence held on a bit longer and Zuko's mind already put together the proper death threat the water tribe boy was going to use… when Sokka's glare slightly moved above his eyes. "You still have only one eyebrow, just to let you know…" He said with a grin before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

Zuko made a slight smile now that he was alone again. One of his hands slowly rose to touch the skin above his left eye, and he felt with his fingertips a slight brushing feeling where his eyebrow was about to grow out.

"Hey…" Katara's voice snapped him out of his thoughts when her head appeared in the doorway again. "Aren't you coming?"

He opened his mouth when looking up at her then closed it without actually saying anything. She raised an eyebrow at him before the edge of his lips curled upwards. "Well, I just realized…" He started while walking to her.

"Realized what?" She asked and smiled up at him.

He put his arms around her, almost securely, and just held her in his embrace, breathing in her scent before finally finishing his sentence. "That all my dreams suddenly came true..."


	8. Realizations

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Realizations**

On a wonderful day when only a couple of clouds tainted the bright blue sky, two persons from different origins but with similar personalities had to face each other because of a secret one of them beheld.

A light breeze caught in Katara's hair as she stood on her room's balcony while the golden eyes of Fire Lord Zuko tried to see through her, giving her the strange feeling that even those radiated heat. "I'm asking you the last time..." If his scowl hadn't been enough, his voice also showed that he was about to explode. "Do you know anything about this _Painted Lady_ or do you not?"

Her blue eyes turned colder as her features turned into a frown. Since the war ended she and some expert healers from the Northern Tribe remained in the Fire Nation to help all of those who needed it. They all stayed in one of the Fire Palace's separated wing, but Katara – being a friend and ally of the Fire Lord – had been placed in the Royal Wing as a sign of his respect.

Of course the peace did not come easy... it never does. Especially not in the capital of the nation which lost the most with stopping the war. She didn't admit it, but sometimes when she just watched how Zuko handled even the hardest situations, a part of her was proud of him. The once banished prince, who would have done everything just to return home, was nowhere compared to him now.

But even his eyes could not reach everywhere. Smugglers, gangs, thieves... the city was filled with people who were up to no good. Because a lot of people believed that Zuko was weak for giving up a war they almost won. That's where she came in the picture... or more like her 'alter ego', the Painted Lady. When the obvious truth could not be proven by him... she acted.

"Even if I knew who it was..." Her voice was utterly calm according to his, and was still sure because she was the only one who did not fear his wrath. "I could not tell you."

He let out a growl clenching his fists beside him. "One of your healers is acting against the laws, and you're saying that you'd help her willingly! Of all the people I wouldn't have expected that from you..."

"My healers? They are my friends." She corrected with anger in her voice. "And anyway… why would one of us do anything like this?" She asked with a slight laugh. "They say that the Painted Lady _is _a real spirit anyway…"

"Oh, because suddenly fog appears on the streets and waves are crashed a ship in half? I've seen even bigger things from you…" Zuko snorted. "Spirits don't exist."

Katara only crossed her arms before answering. "Fine! If that's what you want to believe, then why don't you ask us one by one? Or just throw us in jail, would you?" She snapped and looked away with a scowl on her face. "That would surely lighten your conscience!"

He forced a growl remain in the back of his throat before letting out a deep breath. "Try to understand…" He made himself calm down. "There's someone out there, who thinks that she helps, but in a way she's only ruining what I'm fighting for." She slowly looked back at him but remained silent until he finished. "Don't you see it?"

Her mouth turned into a narrow line as she held his gaze with defiance. "Whoever she is, she's just doing the right thing!"

"By attacking innocent people?" He hissed and took a step closer to her towering over her smaller form but she did not even flinch as she answered.

"Those guys weren't innocent. You said it yourself that you've suspected..."

"Yes, suspected! But unless they're caught in the act, they are not guilty!" He watched her eyes after he said this, but she didn't seem to be convinced by his words. Her look didn't change and he only frowned as she remained silent. "Look, I'm not going to hurt her... I don't even plan to punish her." His voice was low and calm this time. "But I need to talk with her. So if you know...?"

He didn't finish the sentence but his slightly raised eyebrow made it easy to know what he asked again. "And I told you: I don't know who she is."

For a while they both remained silent before it was he who broke their eye contact. His face turned stern and even she could not read his thoughts as he slowly turned away. "Then let it be this way..."

---- THE PREVIOUS NIGHT ----

The wind blew around her, sending her veils backwards as she's running through the city, jumping from roof to roof. But _he _was in her tail, stubbornly pressing forward.

His leg slipped on a roof tile making him fall flat on his chest and face, but he almost immediately got up, steadying his pace when she tried to get advantage of his fall, and jumped off the roofs just to continue on the streets.

When he reached the edge he could still see her disappearing form at the corner of the street. In a blink of an eye he's down with a fierce jump, just to carry on. _She's not going to get away!_

Zuko ran through the street as fast as he could, but by the time he reached a square at the end of it, he came to a halt. The Painted Lady disappeared.

He took deep breaths as his eyes wandered around the place and almost immediately caught sight of an old man sitting at the other side of the square with lowered head, so he hurried to him.

"Hey, old man! Have you seen…" He started to ask, but when he got near him and the old man raised his head, Zuko realized that his eyes were almost as shady as Toph's green ones were… the man was blind. "Oh, I… didn't know…" He started but the man made a friendly smile, like his uncle used to.

"No need to apologize, Lord Zuko."

Zuko blinked in surprise. "You know me?"

"I never forget a voice I heard once…" He said and after a slight pause he went on. "By the way, that was a fine speech at the festival this month, my Lord." The man made a slight nod and the Fire Lord felt as the edge of his lips curled upwards.

"Thank you." Zuko said and lightly bowed his head as a sign of respect, before he continued the main reason why he was there. "Old man, have you seen…" He started finally. "What direction did that girl leave, who ran through here just before I arrived?"

"Girl…?" The man's eyebrows furrowed as he turned his sightless gaze fully towards him. "I'm sorry, but you're the first one who came across this place in at least the last two hours."

Zuko looked around once then returned his bewildered gaze to the old man and realized that he did not joke. "What? But… I've just seen…"

The old man made another slight smile at the stuttering Fire Lord. "Chasing after _spirits_, my Lord?"

He had one last glance at the old man and a scowl crossed his features after he turned away scratching his head. _She must be far already…_

It didn't take long before he disappeared in the direction of the palace, while the old man remained facing that direction, then after a sigh he finally spoke. "You can come out now. He's not near anymore."

From behind the man, a slim figure with veils before her face, slowly stepped out of the shadows, while her bright blue eyes still watched the street her pursuer disappeared through. She turned towards the man and made a bow. "Thank you, for what you have done."

"It's an honour to help a lady in need." He hemmed with a nod before smirking back above his shoulder at the Painted Lady. "Though the next time if it is the Fire Lord I need to mislead, I'd like to hear about it first." Katara only answered with a bright smile.

---- TONIGHT ----

The Blue Spirit gazed upon the city, from a rooftop of the palace, he could call his own now.

"_Chasing after spirits, my Lord?" _He scoffed after remembering the previous night.

_Tonight… _He turned towards the setting sun as a frown formed behind his blue mask. _Her secret will be revealed._

He didn't have to wait too much, because after the sun went down the Painted Lady appeared down at the palace gardens, while hurrying outside towards the city. _You can't run away now!_

The Blue Spirit remained in the shadows, following after the unsuspicious girl who hurried through the streets.

--

Katara ran through the streets in her disguise, but somehow she had an uneasy feeling… like she'd been watched. But every time she peeked behind over her shoulder nothing seemed out of place, so she went towards her destination: the docks.

She and Zuko was informed that a gang of thieves stationed on one of the ships there, but when he appeared there to reveal their actions, the ship was already empty. Nothing left to prove anything, and if he hadn't been the Fire Lord himself, he could have gotten into trouble because of the big mouthed 'innocent' men…

Unfortunately, this was not a single example to how things turned out in the city… those who acted against the laws seemed to have the perfect network to gain information and prevent being caught.

She was so lost in her thoughts that when she'd reached the last street, she didn't even realize the shadow that suddenly appeared above her on the roof.

A dark figure hopped just before her on the ground, and she came to a sudden halt when a man with a blue and white mask glared at her through her veil. And suddenly she remembered: the mask… she had seen it… on wanted posters throughout the world.

Gloved hands reached towards her to get a hold of her wrists or arms, but she quickly took a step backwards avoiding him, and when she lifted her hand, her powers got to life under the full moon, out of fear.

Two pairs of eyes went wide when the masked man suddenly flew backwards, like he'd been pushed by an invisible force. _What the hell is…?_

He could never reach the end of the thought, because the back of his head collided with the metal gutter of the building behind him, and after a load bang the world darkened around him, then he slowly slipped down to the ground.

Her eyes were still round and her lifted hand seemingly trembled when her gaze wandered to the full moon. _Oh no… _She didn't want to use that knowledge… she didn't want to use bloodbending. She promised to herself a second time already that she wouldn't after the end of the war.

She looked back at the unmoving form of the Blue Spirit, and slowly took some shakily steps towards him. _Whoever he is… or whatever he did… he could not deserve what I've just done against him... _

When she got to him, she knew he was unconscious, and the guilt inside her made her to examine what she'd done. Her hand slowly touched the man's head, reaching for any sign of wound through the hood he was wearing. Her feelings turned worse as her fingers touched a spot at the back of his head where the hood felt wet.

She brought her hand back to look at it, though the tightening feeling in her chest showed that she'd already known her fingers were going to be red. _Oh no, no…_

She nervously swallowed before glancing at the blue and white mask slightly afraid. "I'm sorry…" She whispered while her hands moved to the edge of his mask. "But to undo this I'll need to see remove your mask…" Under other circumstances she would have laughed at herself. She was apologizing to a man who tried to attack her… and he was not even awake.

"I promise I'll keep your secret." She said then heaved a sigh before lifting the mask off his face. And when she did…

The mask fell to the ground as she glared at the face with opened mouth. Her heartbeat fastened and she suddenly felt more horrible than before. The one behind the mask was no one else, but Zuko. _Oh my god…_

--

He felt throbbing at the back of his head and winced when someone's hand reached to it. When his eyes very slowly opened, his vision was filled with blue light, and he could only slowly recognize his surroundings.

His eyes wandered to the side only to see a girl's form leaning over him. The blue light shone upon the veil before her face, and he only saw her eyes that reflected the unknown light. His head suddenly felt too light when the pain faded from it, and he slowly spoke through half consciousness though he only heard it like he'd have been underwater. "Are you an angel…?"

The light died out and eyes that were still blue looked at him just below the edge of her circle-shaped hat. She couldn't help it, but after he woke up she felt so much better that when he asked this she let out a light giggle.

His eyes narrowed when he heard her voice and was fully awake. He remembered why he was there, and who she was… he came to reveal her identity, and it was him who got caught by her. Suddenly the girl's chuckle sounded mocking… with a swift move his hand shot forward, grabbing the hat she wore and though she tried to get away, it remained in his hand.

She stood meters away from him by the time he stood up himself, never looking away from her now uncovered face.

"It was you…" He almost whispered and the veiled hat fell out from his hand and she took another step back when she saw fury in his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? I asked if you had anything to tell me and you lied straight to my face!"

At the end his voice was accusing when he yelled at her, and it made her temper answer to it alike. "Look, who's talking Mr. Blue Spirit!" Her blue eyes could now throw lightning at him if her element had been the fire instead of water. "The half of the Earth Kingdom counts _you _as a common thief! It's not like you'd been so eager to confess!"

He gritted his teeth and when he turned away his fists were already clenched as the memory of a previous promise came back to his mind. He suppressed a sigh before talking again but this time his angered tone changed into a lower, almost guilty one. "I... wanted to repay..."

"Yeah, but you haven't done that, have you?" She asked when he only lowered his head.

"This does not justify what you have done." His voice remained low, but somehow it was enough for her to feel pang inside her. His golden eyes locked with hers, and again she saw the same hurt and pain in them like a long time ago, back under Ba Sing Se… the first time he hadn't acted like her enemy. But now the tiredness and hurt was not simply shown to her. It was caused by her.

"I thought you agreed with my way…" He started and her arms slowly fell beside her when he shook his head looking away from her. "A part of me even believed that you were proud of me…" The guilt inside her tenfold as one of his hands covered the left side of his face. "I've been such a fool…"

By the time he turned away from her, she felt as her teary eyes reached the point when they could not prevent the salty drops from running over her cheeks. With almost a ran she appeared behind him and wrapped her arms around his form. Her fingers holding on the shirt above his chest while she hid her face in his shoulder. "Don't…" She muttered when she felt him tense by her touch.

He slowly turned his head to look back at her and his lips slightly parted when she looked up at him with eyes that shone with tears. "Katara…" His voice was soft, but she did not let him go on… could not, until she'd told him that he was wrong.

She inhaled a shaky breath, while holding his gaze. "Don't you ever say that again, do you understand me?" His eyes were confused still, but she was far from stopping… not now, when she'd finally spoken out. She didn't want to keep her secrets anymore… he deserved to know… "You've become far more than I've ever expected. And I _am_ proud of you! But even more…"

As she took a deep breath, she could feel as his heart suddenly beat faster and she somehow calmed down, because it reassured her that it hadn't only happened with her. "Zuko…" He suddenly shivered as one of her hands let go of him and unconsciously trailed down his upper body when she pulled it back, slowly turning him towards him. "I love you."

His face shown relief and disbelief, but his eyes shone with happiness that he had not felt for too long now. "You do?"

She was dancing at the edge of crying and laughing when he stepped closer to her. "Why do you think I'd have stayed here for more than a year if I hadn't?" His lips curled into a slight smile that he only let her to see in that said year. "But you had so much to do, so many people to help…" She shook her head as she felt her cheeks heating up. "I couldn't stand between you and your nation, which needs you so much…"

She would have probably continued this way, if two strong arms hadn't embraced her in that very moment. She didn't even have time to fully look up before his lips met hers, gently at first but when she responded to it, she felt that the temperature slowly rose around them as he changed the kiss into a fiercer one.

She always thought that his hands would be rough like his temper, but in that moment they were gentle and strong, covering her and promising safety.

And he always thought that her hands would be tender and even fragile but during that kiss… they felt forceful and urging as she held onto him before the two of them slowly parted.

Her beautiful face flushed while taking deep breaths and even his paleness mixed with some colour before she let out a sigh. "Huh…"

"Yeah…" The edge of his lips curled up into a smirk. "It makes me wonder why we had not done this before."

She nervously looked away as the redness of her cheeks deepened. "Maybe we tried to keep too many things in secret…"

She didn't turn back to him, but he slowly lifted a hand to her chin making her look at him again. _Then it is time to tell the full truth…_ He thought before finally speaking, with looking into her eyes.

"From the day you've finally trusted me again…" He started with only a whisper, but for her it sounded stronger like anything he'd said before. "I wanted to prove that you did not make a mistake, that I'd do anything if you asked me. _Right then and there._"

A slight smile appeared on her face when that sentence brought back some memories, but did not break the silence until he told her everything he wanted. "You know, you were right back then, but not the way you'd thought." He said while one of his hands caressed the side of her face. "You did not end my destiny Katara… you have become my destiny."

His soft look slowly turned fuzzy before her eyes as tears threatened to take over her once again. "Shoot…" She sobbed lowly while nuzzling into his chest. "You're making me cry again…"

"I'll make it up to you, I swear." He pulled her closer while lowering his head to whisper in her ear. "Because I love you too, Katara…" Her arms returned the embrace and she closed her eyes while her head rested on his shoulder peacefully. He slightly leaned forward blowing a kiss on top of her head before closing his eyes. "And if I have to, I'm going to prove it to you, every single day of my life…"

--

Some say that the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady never existed… though some believe that they were going to live forever, because spirits were blessed with eternity.

The real truth had been long forgotten, because the two spirits never appeared again in the realm of the living. But old tales are still told about them, and though their storylines are usually different, there is one certain thing that never changes: they had found peace and love in each other, and together they have returned to the spirit world. And after that… they have become legend.

* * *

_A/N: Well, this Painted x Blue idea popped in my head for so long now I don't even remember... but now I have the feeling that it took too long and I really don't know what to think about it._

_At the moment I have a bad feeling about it. :( I so wanted to write you a good PxB... _


	9. An Ordinary Day of a Fire Lord

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

All in his life Zuko only believed in things he could see, things that truly existed and had proof. But lately he was unsure…

Unsure because every time he didn't listen to his wife and stayed to work in his study room he could have sworn it was directly mocking him.

Every single time when he stayed in there something happened with him, like the room wanted to remind him that he was wrong. Every time he ended up being hurt accidentally.

These 'accidents' were never too serious of course these only angered him, but did not bring the satisfaction to turn unable to work for the rest of those nights.

Truly, just some little things that could have happened with anyone: when he walked next to the shelves one of the books – of course not just a scroll, that wouldn't have hurt that much – fell on his head or his feet; when he hurried through the room packed with lots of parchments or papers he always bumped on or kicked into furniture he had always known were there or…

BANG!

He growled as his head hit the edge of the desk he'd used in the last five years, when he wanted to lift some fallen letters from under it. He rubbed that spot as he managed to lean back in his chair, putting the letters away.

It was already the middle of the night and dark circles formed around his eyes because of sleep loss. The anniversary of the war's end was about to be celebrated here in less than a week, and he had so many things to do till then!

He made a heavy sigh as he picked the quill in his hand and continued writing the summary of that year's trading and taxes.

When he was finished with that, he lifted up another paper and turned it towards the light to see it better. As his eyes tired he leaned closer to the parchment while he unconsciously lowered it too… He slowly leaned so close to it that when he closed for eyes for just a moment he didn't even feel as his chin reached the table and he finally fell into a peaceful, welcomed and well-deserved sleep.

* * *

The Fire Lady entered her husband's study room and when her blue eyes caught sight of his sleeping form a soft smile appeared on her face.

Her beloved Zuko, the head of the Fire Nation was soundly asleep leaning on his desk. His hair surrounded his peaceful features after his topknot gave up trying to hold it all up.

She walked up to him and slightly stroked his shoulder leaning down to place a light kiss on his right cheek that was turned upwards.

His eyelids trembled as he suppressed a yawn and when he opened his eyes he saw Katara smiling down at him.

"Hi…" He murmured and made a half smile looking up at his wife.

"I see you stayed here again." She said as he finally lifted his head up rubbing his eyes. "Will you come and have breakfast with me…?"

When she said the word 'breakfast' he froze. He looked through his fingers, before lowering his hands revealing that the left side of his face was printed with inked letters from the paper he laid on in the last hours. He quickly turned towards the window and groaned as he realized the full daylight. "Oh no…" He let a hand through his messy hair. "No, no! I-I'm sorry, I can't…" He made an apologetic look towards her then turned to his papers again. "Now I only have four days till the anniversary and look at all this mess!" He waved towards the desk before him. "Everything must be perfect and I don't even know where I stopped…!"

His rant suddenly stopped as the smirking Katara pointed at his face, touching it under the ink letters and said. "I think somewhere around the 'Thank you all for your patient and cooperative work'…"

His eyes slightly rounded as he brought a hand to his face, then when he saw the ink on his fingertips he hid his face in his hand with a groan. "Times like this I wonder why you are still with me…"

Katara giggled lightly and brought a handkerchief to his face to rub down the ink when he looked at her again. When the ink was gone she smiled at him with one of her sweetest smiles and leaned close to him. "Times like this I wonder why I hesitated at all at the beginning…"

As he gave her one of his rare smiles she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips before squeezing his hand. "Come, have breakfast with me." She said standing up.

"But…" He started, but from a look at her frowning face stopped him at once. He heaved a sigh before standing up. "All right… but it must be quick. I have a lot to do…"

He hardly took a step when she turned around and stepped so close to him that their bodies fitted together. "I thought you'd finally come back to the bed with me." She said looking in his eyes.

"But I've just slept more than…" He started but when her hand slowly trailed up on his upper body and she raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, his lips curled into a smirk. "Now that you say that a little nap doesn't sound bad at all…"

"That sounds much better." She said before leaning up to kiss him again.

* * *

_A/N: I had some time again, and this one only waited for me to type it in, so here it is!_

_Tell me what you think... about this one, or the previous ones, or chinese philosophy! XD _


	10. It Is Hard to Forgive

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

-------- ! SPOILER WARNING ! --------

If you hadn't seen the Western Air Temple episode, you might not understand what's happening... and why..

* * *

**It Is Hard to Forgive**

* * *

"Katara!" The blind bandit's voice rang throughout the Western Air Temple and the name's owner could not prevent herself from making a scowl at the cooking pot before her, when the other girl shouted again. "Katara!!!" 

The waterbender gritted her teeth. ""What?! She turned to the side where the other stood, then she get a hold of the waterskin Katara put to the side before. "And put that d…!" She started before the other interrupted her.

"Hurry, you need to come with me!"

"What…?" Katara asked bewildered. "To where?"

Toph let out a frustrated sigh before answering. "To Zuko!"

The waterbender's face darkened even after hearing his name. "Why?" She asked without trying to hide what she thought about this idea.

The earthbender clenched the neck of the other's waterskin. "He needs you, he's badly wounded!"

Her blue eyes rounded while Katara froze. She still didn't like him but this news… "What happened?" She asked meanwhile standing up and already heading with the shorter girl towards the prince's room. "Did they fence with Sokka again?"

Toph quickly nodded with a worried expression and it deepened Katara's thoughts that it must have been something serious. "I told them that I won't heal them unless it was really serious… did the fools truly make it…?" She murmured darkly to herself finally reaching the prince's room, so she opened the door and immediately stepped in the room…

Just imagine her surprise when Zuko turned towards her with a slight frown, while he was sitting on the ground before some candles, looking perfectly unharmed. "Err… hi?"

Katara knitted her eyebrows furiously and whirled around, only to see the door of the room slam before her.

"Gotcha!" They heard the blind bandit's voice, when the waterbender tried to open the door in vain.

Zuko stood up himself, not understanding what was happening until Katara beat on the door. "Toph! What are you doing?" She yelled, and to their surprise the next voice outside belonged to her brother.

"Quickly! The keys! The keys!"

"What's going on?" The firebender asked, but the girl did not concentrate on him.

"Sokka! Let me out at once!" She shouted hitting the door hard. "Or else you won't eat for a week, do you hear me?"

There was a moment of silence while no one moved on either side of the door, then the water tribe boy answered. "Sorry sis, I'm not alone into this…" He said then added with a hurried voice. "But you've convinced me already, just to let you know…"

After a yelp he remained silent, and Katara's eyes narrowed while Zuko stepped next to her with a dark look too. _This was all Toph's doing…_

"Toph if you don't open the door now…!" The waterbender yelled angrily then stepped to the side when Zuko's fist flamed up.

"Step aside." He said on a low voice, so that the others outside wouldn't hear, but when he launched forward, the ground moved below him, pulling him away from the door. "Damn!" He snapped then from his place he wanted to kick into the door…

But before he could have made contact with it, the ground just before the said door rose up, covering and catching his outstretched leg.

Both him and Katara watched as the earth slowly rose, entirely covering the doorway, and Zuko could have sworn that he heard the blind girl's giggle from the other side of the door when after first twisting his leg with the earth – making his eyes twitch – he was finally freed from the wall. After gaining his balance back, he shot a dark look towards the newly created wall…

The waterbender yelled again. "This is not funny guys! Grow up!"

"Sorry guys…" A third person said, and the duo in the room looked ahead of themselves as they recognized the voice.

"Aang…?" Katara asked with raising an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah…" He started outside, and before the girl could start yelling he spoke on a diplomatic voice. "Look, we didn't do this for fun…"

"Speak in your name, Twinkle Toes. I myself enjoy this situation a lot…" Toph popped in, and Katara's fists clenched upon hearing it, knowing well that probably she was smirking outside.

"_So…_" Aang started again. "I'm sorry guys, but…"

"Don't 'sorry' here!" Zuko snapped. "Let us out!"

Katara gave him a glare, before turning towards the place where the door had been. "Aang, why are you doing this?" She asked patiently and the prince couldn't help but grit his teeth.

But before Aang spoke Sokka popped in. "Look sis, since the jerk joined us… err – no offence… - the two of you were way too weird… and when that last time you've practiced your bending…"

"The two of you were directly ruining each others' moves!" Toph said loudly. "If there had been any firebenders they wouldn't have to do anything against you, just wait until you were finished!"

Katara turned to Zuko with clenched fists, while he only crossed his arms, giving her a side glance from the corner of his eyes when she hissed. "This is your fault!"

Zuko scoffed but didn't say anything because Aang spoke again. "So, we've decided that you should get over… whatever your problem is and…"

"We're fine!" Katara yelled, but was ignored by the others. "Really! Just open the d…"

"And in that time we're going down to the beach!" Toph yelled in making the duo widen their eyes.

"No!" They yelled almost at once.

"Don't worry we'll come back for you! Have fun!"

* * *

----- LATER ----- 

She was pacing around next to the door's original place, but didn't say a word. Sometimes when he could caught sight of her eyes he could see the same scowl she offered to him as her first 'good night wish', while he was sitting on the edge of his bed.

His eyes wandered around the room, dealing with the idea that perhaps he should do his room more frequently… in case, who knows? Once he might end up closed in there… with a girl who was looking for his mistakes… Good thing he didn't have much stuff to leave around anyway.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as she let out a deep breath in the silence leaning to the wall.

For a moment he looked away before finally asking her in a friendly manner. "Don't you want to sit down? It would be more comfortable."

She gave him an icy glare. "I bet you'd love that… _pervert._"

His lips turned into a narrow line while he was looking ahead of himself, then stood up getting a distance away from the bed before asking again with crossed arms. "What about now?"

She looked at the bad as if being in thought then turned her head away defiantly. "You're still in the room."

His fists clenched beside him and his voice became louder. "And guess what… that's not going to change!"

Her frown hardened before she made a smirk at his back, now that he'd turned away. "You could jump out of the window." He's standing stunned looking out of that window. _Does she really hate me this much?_ "I wouldn't hold you back." She finished satisfied as his form tensed.

"Fine! I don't even know why I offered it!" He yelled and stormed back to his bed lying down on the middle of it, to cover most of its usable surface, putting his arms behind his neck. "It is my bed anyway, just do what you want, I don't care!"

Katara sat down next to the wall she stood before and crossed her arms. Her evil smile faded almost at once after what she'd said. Maybe she went a bit too far, but she's still not really interested in how it might make him feel… after all he deserved everything he got from her, and from the fact that he simply refused to fight back, she knew he had been well aware of that himself.

She heaved a sigh before breaking the silence. "You don't seem like you'd want to get out of this situation…"

_You don't seem like it either…_ He thought to himself though he knew she only meant this as 'getting out of the room'.

"Believe me, if they hadn't walled up the door I would have broken through it even with my _head_ if I had to, the moment they've left." He said darkly and she narrowed her eyes at the tone of his voice.

So she decided to be cruel when speaking again. "If you were only half as a good bender as your sister, a single wall couldn't stop you…"

Zuko's golden eyes almost pierced through the ceiling as his clenched fingers' nails crawled in his palm. He shot forward into a sitting position, letting all of his fury come to the surface. "All right, I had enough of you!" He shouted and when he stood up walking closer to her threateningly, she felt more and more uneasy. Maybe it was not wise to push him through the edge when she had no usable source of water while he could create his own element whenever he wanted to.

She slowly stood up, leaving a hand on the wall and it crossed her mind that she had probably just lost her dangerous attire she'd managed to use against him… and even though this thought was written over her face and was clearly visible in her eyes, he did not show any sign that he would be interested by it.

His golden eyes reflected more anger and hatred than she'd ever seen in them, but all those feelings were created by suppressed pain and desperation.

"Do you have _any_ idea how hard this decision was for me?" He asked not looking away from her ocean blue eyes. "Do you think it is easy to turn against everything you were born into? To go as far as to betray your own father and sister and join your biggest enemies, knowing well that you'll cause maybe both of their ends?"

As the only thing she did was turning her gaze away, he went on after letting out a deep breath and looking downwards himself. "I know I've done a grave mistake… a mistake that my own uncle will never forget even if he'd ever forgiven me. And I _am_ sorry…"

Katara closed her eyes to shut out his close form from her view, now that she heard him talk like that again… like back in the crystal catacombs, where all of this started…

"I don't know what you await from me… I can't apologize forever." He said shamelessly letting his own guilt sound in his voice… something he was strictly taught not to do.

"And though I admit what you've done back then…" She peeked at him from the corner of her eyes while he was not looking. "…meant a lot to me…" He spoke with a bittersweet smile before going on. "Hell, I'm sure that I would have never thought about coming here if it hadn't…" He said looking back at her closed eyes. "But you can't deny that trusting someone, you knew well was your enemy…"

"So is it my fault?!" She snapped and she cursed herself when opening her eyes, tears appeared in them.

All his anger was long gone and now he was looking at her in a soft… even worried way. "No! No…" He answered, whispering the last and reached towards her, but she turned her head away while the tears finally rolled down her cheeks. "Please, Katara…" _Don't cry…_

"What's in you that makes you so _special_?" She asked on a low voice and he was frowning by the time she turned back towards him. "What the hell have _you_ done that made you deserve all these second chances?"

There was so much hurt in her voice… so many unspoken thoughts and feelings on her face that the realization suddenly made his heart sunk, but still didn't know why. "It… was not easy for your friends either, but…"

"That's not what I meant!" She almost yelled, only confusing him more when she looked in his eyes furiously. "Did you lie back then…?" His eyebrows furrowed but as he didn't show any intention of speaking, she said out what was on her mind. "You knew that your mother was alive then didn't you?"

Zuko's mouth stayed open. Ever since he joined them, he only talked about this once… and to the avatar only. "You've heard me…" Her tears turned her view fuzzy when she looked downwards. "Why didn't you ask me then?" He asked when she turned away from him, putting her arms around herself. "You could have found out that my father told me this during the eclipse… to keep me there…" He said with slight disapproval in his voice, but didn't go on as her shoulders shook.

"Katara, I…" He started but when he put a hand on her shoulder she whirled around with even more tears and clenched fists then started to beat on his chest.

"No! I don't care what you feel! Or how you are! You shouldn't even be here!" She cried and he only tried to catch her wrists. "You could convince Toph, Aang and even Sokka but I'll never Ever believe you!"

"Katara! Please…!" He started finally getting hold of her left wrist, but she just doubled her strikes with her right fist.

"No! Why did you come here?! Why couldn't you stay in the Fire Nation where you belong?!" She screamed and continued hitting him as long as he caught her other hand. "How can life always go easy on you?!"

"Stop!" He finally managed to pull her hands beside her and wrapped his arms around her, no matter how hard she struggled and yelled. "Stop it." He said finally, meeting her gaze.

As if his golden eyes would have calmed her down, she stopped her fists that beat on his chest again and now simply rested there. Her face was still sad, even torn when she asked on a low voice. "How is it possible that after all you've done…" She started as tears flowed down her face again. "You still have the chance to find her?"

This was the point where she gave up… she leaned forward, hiding her face in his neck. "When I would give anything just to see my mother's face once again…" She sobbed, and when her fingers dug into his shirt he was also close to let a tear fall from his right eye.

"Katara… I am so sorry…" He whispered in her ear while holding her in his arms, calmingly stroking her hair with a hand. "I had no idea I've hurt you this much…"

Her tiny fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt when her body shook. Without raising her head she muffled in his shoulder. "I hate you…"

For a moment he froze. He knew she hated him… she did everything to prove it before. But still, hearing her say it out… "I know." He said as she silently cried onto his chest and without truly realizing what he was doing… he placed a light kiss on the top of her head through her hair.

She slowly pulled away then brought her gaze up at him with puffy and surprised eyes. Because there was that look in his eyes again…

He was no longer her enemy, who only waited for the right moment to strike... but a simple soul haunted by his own past…

One of her hands slowly rose up to his face, and as it made contact with the marred skin below his left eye, she felt that her fingertips touched a single salty tear, before he'd have closed his eyes and leaned in her gentle touch, which she offered him again.

"Why…?" She asked on a low voice. "Why did you choose her then?"

His eyebrows furrowed before opening his eyes… his treacherous honey gold eyes, which he could no longer hide from her to see through them. "She had offered me everything… everything I've lost, like it had never happened… everything I could only dream about for three long years…"

There's a light frown on her features while her hand is still upon the side of his face. "If it was like a dream…" She started in a whisper. "Then why did you leave?"

For a long moment he didn't answer, only held her gaze while – she didn't know why - she didn't dare to move and was even holding her breath, when one of his hands slowly rose… covering her hand upon his face then slowly moving it upon the edge of his scar before finally saying three simple words…

"I woke up."

He didn't say more only let his hand slowly fall back to his side and her face saddened as he broke their eye-contact, looking down at his feet.

Only then did she dare to move her hand, slowly stroking his scarred cheek below his eye with her thumb, which made him look back at her. And this time, for the first time he could see her smiling up at him… with the sweetest of smiles she had ever shown him.

Her eyes were still shiny because of her previous tears, but somehow those only made the blue orbs more beautiful… His lips slightly parted, intending to ask why she was smiling… but not a single sound left his throat to break the silence.

She was still smiling when her hand slowly moved from his scar to his messy hair, pulling away a lock right before his eye then went lower, to rest on his jaw as she finally spoke. "Let's… start this over…"

His eyes slightly widened at the change in her and after closing his mouth he let the edge of his lips curl upwards into one his rare smiles. And in that moment she could not deny that even that part of her would have wished to see him like this, which tried to push him as far away as it was possible before… "What do you say?" She asked friendly.

His smile remained on his lips, and even appeared in his eyes… That's why she suddenly didn't understand when he said: "No."

He must have seen the confusion in her eyes, because his expressions softened and it was his turn to slowly lift a hand to her face, but didn't dare to touch her yet. "I've promised to myself that I'll make it up to you as much as I can…" He whispered finally stroking the side of her face, and she felt her heart beat faster because of his single touch. "And there are certain things… I can't and don't even want to forget."

Her lips slightly parted while she found it harder to breathe. "W-what things?" She managed to ask while their distance seemed to reduce.

The smile on his lips promised so many things… up to this close even more, when he finally answered. "Like that wonderful girl…" Her face reddened with every word he said. "Who showed me, her own enemy… more kindness than anyone before…" He slowly leaned closer to her while he spoke, and just when she thought he'd finally close the gap between them, he stopped.

She took quick breaths while searching his eyes, when she realized: he did not want to do this until she did… he could not do this while she didn't trust him… he was the one who waited now, not her.

She knew it would have been the time to listen to her mind… she even knew that without truly thinking much she could have made a list with at least a dozen of reasons why she should pull back right now, before it was too late…

But fortunately… her mind was silent, while her heart raced.

She moved forward letting both of her hands explore his face and well-toned chest while he pulled her close with one strong arm as his other hand's fingers played with her wavy hair when they've finally lost in the sensations of their first kiss, they secretly desired ever since they had been imprisoned together under Ba Sing Sei…

And strangely, the two of them could only think about one thing through clouded minds. _This was so the others' fault… but gods, I'll have a lot to thank to them…_

* * *

_A/N: _So, because we're **ALL WAITING for the last episodes of the series** and I'm afraid that we'll have to still wait another month, I've tried to somehow... forsee the future? 

I pretty much think that when Zuko will finally confront Katara, she'll most probably end up crying - just like she did when she was talking with her father - and Zuko will try to cheer her up - just like back in BSS - while she's going to hold on to him all right - just like she did with her father too! XD But we'll be more than **happy to see that!**

And of course after such a peacful moment, with being so close to someone who's **definitely** not indifferent to you, well... Things CAN happen ppl... CAN and WILL! XD

Look at that... I've let out my fangirl side... XD

Review ppl, review! Agree or disagree, I'd like to hear your opinion!


	11. It Is Hard to Forgive 2

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

A/N: Hi people! I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I'm quite busy nowadays...

So this is a sequel to my last chapter, for Charizardag (GLOMP!) who asked me to do a piece where Zuko and Katara is caught in a heated scene! XD So beware!

* * *

**It Is Hard to Forgive – 2**

By Last Butterfly (MrJensen on deviantArt)

* * *

After the huge bison slowly ascended on the outer building of the Western Air Temple, Toph and Sokka hopped off his back while laughing to themselves.

"Goh-ods…" Sokka spoke while drying his eye with a hand. "And what if we wait till the moon comes up and see if she slammed him to the wall and back?"

The blind bender let out a chuckle revealing her usual smirk at the thought of Zuko flying around in his own room, waving with his arms like he could fly while Katara was probably just sitting on the edge of the bed, only moving one of her fingers to make the circle go on.

In the meantime Aang bended the saddle off of Appa, but this time looked at the laughing duo with a slight scowl. "Hey, I thought we agreed that we didn't do this to laugh at them earlier!"

"Oh Twinkle Toes, don't be such a party-pooper…" Toph spoke only looking back above her shoulder waving once, while heading inside with the water tribe boy. "After all we came back for them, didn't we?"

"If you'd come when I suggested we'd have been here an hour ago…" The avatar murmured next to Appa, who – after he felt that his master didn't pay attention to him – got the edge of Aang's upper robe between his teeth slowly pulling on him, while letting out a low growl, letting them know that even a huge bison needed to eat sometimes.

"Oh…" Aang turned back to Appa. "Right, we'll find you something buddy…" He spoke and started to lead him away.

"Hey!" Sokka yelled after him. "Aren't you coming?"

The avatar peeked back over his shoulder then waved with a smile. "I have some things to attend to first… just go ahead, I'll catch up with you!"

"All right…" The water tribe warrior said when Toph got bored and pulled on his arm making him yelp.

"Com' on!" She said loudly while her smirk appeared on her features. "I wanna count their new scars…"

* * *

The tiny room did not show many differences… the little furniture it contained stood perfectly in the order they had been originally placed, and there were only two changes since the last hour that were visible. One had been a picture that laid on the edge of the table facing its wooden surface – as if someone hadn't felt it right to leave it standing, and the other one was…

Well, the other one just appeared when suddenly a dark red coloured shirt fell on the ground, which was thrown off of the bed.

There's a smile on his features when his gaze returned to her, and she let out a light giggle when he caressed the side of her face with the same hand that threw his shirt away.

She wrapped her arms around his now bare shoulders when his lips collided with hers again with the same fervour as they did before. The two did only part when they were out of breath and even then for not too long because he slowly made his way, kissing her jaw line and her neck while her fingernails crawled in his back, leaving slightly visible bruises upon his pale marble-like skin.

"I have to admit…" She breathed as she tilted her head backwards to let him have a better access to her delicate neck. "That I love the way you're apologizing."

The edge of his lips curled upwards and he lifted his head only to look up at her flushed face before slowly leaning back. "And you haven't seen the half of it yet…" He whispered while his hands slowly found the sash of her clothes.

"Oh, really…?" She smirked while his lips travelled around the skin of her neck, but she let out a moan when he gently sucked at her collarbone after opening her robe, revealing the white undergarments that stood in perfect contrast with her dark mocha skin.

Her arms embraced him, pulling him closer and he felt as one of her legs made its way upwards the back of his thigh when she purred his name in his scarred ear sending shivers down to his core…

But suddenly both of them froze when they heard something from the direction of the wall where the door to his room originally had been.

Zuko's golden eyes sent a piercing glare towards the wall while his hands still rested on the bed next to either side of her shoulders, giving him the look of a hunter, who was ready to defend his prey…

Katara turned her worried gaze there too while her arms still held onto him. _Tell me it's not…_

"…yeah, I wonder if they're still alive. I can't see them…" They heard the muffled voice of the blind bandit when the wall slowly went down to its original place, revealing the door.

_Them!!_

He hardly had time to realize what was happening, but just before the sound of someone shaking keys outside, he was kicked hard in the side by the same leg which caressed him before, but now shoved him off the bed, making him end up on his rear. He looked up at her with a frown for a moment while she quickly sat up, pulling her robe close.

"All right you, we came back for you!" Sokka yelled in the room and wide opened the door, but his mouth stayed open when he saw the duo.

If a shirtless Zuko sitting at his sister's feet hadn't been enough already, facing the fact that she was tying her sash around her robe with messy hair made his eyes turn round. A high pitched noise lest his throat sounding like. "Hagh…?!"

"Oh, so that's why I didn't see you…" The edge of Toph's mouth twitched as she forced her smirk not to show. "You _both_ were on the bed."

The two turned with alarm towards the water tribe warrior, whose face darkened quicker than ever before when he drew his boomerang before him.

Zuko's hand slowly scooted behind him to his shirt while he held eye-contact with the furious brother when Katara got to her feet, standing between them with raised hands.

"Sokka, I can explain." She spoke while his grip strengthened upon his weapon.

"Explain later. Kill now!" He said through gritted teeth but when he tried to take a step, his shirt was grabbed by the blind girl, keeping him in his place, and she pulled his boomerang out of his hand. When he was about to yell at her, she spoke with closed eyes. "Chill now, Snoozles…" She said and revealed a smirk towards the waterbender. In the meantime the prince slipped in his shirt covering the bruises on his back, which were caused by her nails. "I'd love to hear what she has to say…"

"Well…" For a moment everyone – even Zuko – looked at her, but somehow her brain suddenly couldn't think of any good excuse that would justify what had just happened. "We… we've just…" She started then turned her gaze downwards. "Err…"

Sokka's eyes narrowed more and this time his hand reached for his sword.

"Yeah, I thought so…" Toph murmured when she finally let go of the water tribe boy, who launched forward with a yell.

"Sokka don't!" The waterbender yelled when her brother ran at Zuko, but he quickly leaned backwards and the dark bladed sword only hit in the floor beside his head. But this was just the beginning…

The prince rolled away and grabbed the handle of his swords from a kneeling position before the other appeared behind him again.

Katara's eyes rounded when her brother aimed at the firebender's back. "Zuko, watch out!" But by the time she finished the warned one rolled back to his back and held up his swords with two hands stopping Sokka's blade just before his face, while a part of him smiled on the inside. _Did she just warn me…?_

The water tribe warrior gritted his teeth and leaned his weight on his sword trying to get through his defence but the prince used this opportunity to kick him fully in the side, which made him fly right into the room's only table, narrowly breaking it in at least three pieces…

Zuko jumped up from the ground and took a step towards the door and next to the two girls before looking back. The angry brother only groaned and was halfway to get up, and even then he'd have to collect his sword.

_This means I have a little time…_ The prince thought to himself, and suddenly got an idea.

With a half smile, he stepped to Katara – who was still watching her brother – wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in one last kiss on the lips with closed eyes.

When he looked at her again, he could see a faint blush on her surprised face but as her eyes shone up at him, he knew she didn't mind.

In that moment, when her brother let out a yelp, the edge of Zuko's lips curled up into a smirk. "We'll talk later." He said, then let go of her, hurrying through the door and down the corridor while Sokka ran after him yelling and waving with his sword.

"Come back you bastard!"

The two girls only watched them from their place but when only Zuko's laughter answered him, Toph couldn't help chuckling, earning a dark look from the older girl.

"And…" She giggled more. "You said it was not _that_ kind of tension!"

Katara clenched her fists with a scowl. "You!!" Probably it was not the best idea to get into a fight with the blind earthbender when she still didn't have water, but hearing her laughter and remembering that she was the reason why she ended up closed in the room with him in the first place, made her blood boil.

Toph raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in Katara. "What…?" She managed to start, but couldn't go on as the other girl shoved her off her feet.

The two didn't struggle for too long and Toph suspected it was because of the other's anger, because in the end she was sitting on the waterbender's back, pulling her hands backwards. "Will you stop?" She asked calmly while taking deep breaths, but she only shook her head struggling again.

"Forget it!" She shouted loudly when finally someone appeared in the door.

"Toph…? Katara…?" The avatar asked with a surprised face.

"Aang!" The waterbender looked up at him.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes! Guess what happened!" Toph started with a smirk.

Blue eyes widened at once and she turned her head towards the other girl as much as she could. "Toph, shut up!" She hissed, but it was already too late…

"Your favourite bending masters were just making out when we opened the door!" She said with another light laugh as Aang's mouth stayed open. Katara bit in her lower lip while slowly turning back towards him. There was no need for her to say anything… the guilt in her eyes told him all.

"You should have seen Sokka's face!" Toph went on, but slowly realized the change in the avatar's expressions. "No, he was not depressed, more like shocked…" She spoke, but the boy didn't say a word. "Aang…?"

The avatar's eyes closed and his fingers curled into a fist. When he turned away there was a painful expression on his face that made Katara's heart clench.

"Aang, wait!" He heard her yell after him, but he didn't even slow down once he ran back from where he came…

"Huh…" Toph frowned. "What's with him?" She asked when with a forceful move Katara shook her off of her.

"You… shouldn't have told this to him like that." The waterbender said with a guilty look. _This is all my fault…_

The blind girl remained sitting on the floor while the other stood up. "Why? I knew he kind of liked you, but there was nothing between you, right?" Katara stood in silence. "Right…?"

As the silence became longer Toph realized that the situation was more complicated than she'd first thought. She lowered her head with letting out a sigh and only said one single sentence before Katara left the room. "Then it would have hurt him anyway after all…"

* * *

Though Aang flew around on his glider for quite a while, it was not too hard for her to find him. It was her who usually did that ever since she'd found him in an iceberg…

He sat on the edge of a building with one of his legs hanging in the air, while the other was pulled up to his chest so he could lean on it. He slightly turned his head to look at her when she called out his name, only to look back at the now setting sun. _Strange… like it had been a sign…_

He didn't say anything when she sat down next to him with her concerned, but changed look… because it was now mixed with guilt, just as his with sadness. _The end of something that never even truly started…_

After some moments she finally felt herself ready to speak. "Aang, I'm really…" When he lifted up his free hand between them, the words stopped before escaping her lips.

He slowly lowered his hand and only after that did he spoke. "You know…" He finally started. "It took me almost a year to finally bring together enough courage to kiss you…" When he looked at her now, he could see as the corner of her eyes slowly filled with tears, only making her eyes look more beautiful. "Even though I knew from the moment I saw you, that I wanted nothing else more…"

Somewhere around the middle of his sentence the tears slowly made their way down her cheeks and she covered her face before a sob escaped her lips. After what she'd done she wanted to be strong like she used to be and comfort him… and yet again she couldn't do as she'd planned. The same –almost suffocating – feeling overwhelmed her like when he'd kissed her unexpectedly then disappeared without even giving her a chance to tell how she'd felt…

And now she knew she was a horrible person… how could she even face him – who she loved so much like he had been of her own blood – after betraying him with both her silence and another man?

"I am so s-sorry…" She sobbed trying to dry her eyes with her hand in vain before looking at him again. "Aang, for all that's sacred I swear… that no matter what I'd have ever done – I never wanted to hurt you!" She cried and as her voice broke, she tried to cover her face again, but then suddenly he leaned forward, catching her hands with gentle ones and slowly lowered them when he finally looked into her eyes…

His grey eyes didn't show anger… no fury, no hatred… they'd shone with understanding while his lips managed to curl into a little – though bitter – smile. Because he already realized what he had to do…

"You didn't let me finish…" He spoke while his smile changed into a more confident one. She blinked sometimes, trying to clear her eyes when he spoke. "I was trying to say, that I've wanted nothing more… but to see you happy."

Her lower lip slightly trembled. _He had truly grown up… _"Oh Aang…" She whispered while the boy's gaze slowly lowered as he made a slight nod. And now – though she had no right to tell him this right then – but she was proud of him… and grateful for all that he'd said.

"Yeah…" He spoke again, leaving a sure voice. "You know, I kind of realized this after what happened." Their eyes locked together again. "I thought that all I wanted is you to be with me… but I understand now…" He said with stroking her messy hair once with his hand. "That I just want you to be happy. And if it is him who can give that to you…" He made a shrug and his usual bright smile appeared on his face. "Then it is the way it should be."

When he finished she felt as the tension finally disappeared. It was like she could breathe again after a very long time…

Through her tears she could finally smile at him again and without a warning she pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around him which he returned just like always before.

They didn't need to say more… because no matter what happened between them, they were best friends after all…

"Thank you Aang…" She whispered to him. "Thank you so much…"

A single tear appeared in his eyes and he slowly pulled away to dry it with a hand. "Shoot…" He said while his lips curled up into a smile. "I wanted to be manly this time…"

She lightly chuckled at his murmur, and they turned back towards the now darkening sky.

"Can I ask you just one thing?"

She peeked at him before nodding once. "Of course…"

"Out of all people…" He started, looking at her again. "Why him?"

"Well…" She looked downwards in the thought and pulled her knees to her chest with her arms around them before going on. "From the very beginning… I had to fell many things… anger, fear… first he was just the enemy I had to hide or run away from."

Her lips curled into a smile. "Then thanks to you, I became a real bender! A master… and I no longer needed to run, because I could finally stand up against those I feared… and against him." Her smile slightly changed to form a smirk. "And somehow it became more like a challenge than anything else…"

She turned in her place to face him and let on of her legs straighten. "I never admitted it, but a part of me almost wanted for him to show up… because I wanted to see if I could win against him after the North Pole…"

There was a slight disapproval upon his face and she suddenly felt that probably – like Sokka – Aang wouldn't have wanted her to get into danger just because of her curiosity, and quickly left this thought.

"And then…" She said averting her gaze. "Everything changed in Ba Sing Sei. He showed me a part of himself that I'd have never imagined that it existed before…"

_Ba Sing Sei…_ Aang's eyebrows knitted together, but he didn't interrupt her.

She slowly shifted in her place, unsure if she should admit the next… but now it was the time to talk about what she'd kept in secret before. So she took a deep breath and spoke out. "I have…" She even turned her head away as she cleared her throat then said with doubled speed. "Offered to heal his scar."

The avatar straightened in his place when turning towards her. "You what?" She only looked back at him from the corner of her eye when his thoughts raced. "And what happened? What did he say?"

"He… was willing to let me try." She said and pulled her knees up again. "And that's when you and Iroh have arrived…"

Aang's eyes suddenly grew bigger and his mouth stayed open. He remembered how angry Zuko became when they appeared and back there the last thing he wanted was to be friendly with him…

"That explains a lot!" He said with a hand on his forehead before lowering it when Katara turned towards him again. He made a bitter smile. "To be honest, if I had been in his place then… I can't say I wouldn't have done the same…"

They didn't speak again after he fell silent. Strangely she hadn't thought about this… she focused so much on her anger towards him before, that she somehow forgot what it meant to him that that moment slipped away…

Katara's gaze wondered to the moon above them and her eyes filled with determination as she looked ahead of her. But tonight… was a full moon.

* * *

The sun already went down and only the moon and the stars light helped to see the two figures lying on the ground with their hands still holding their swords, while their breathing was still uneven from fighting their way through three temples…

It was Zuko who slowly turned his head looking at the other boy. Between two deep breaths he finally asked. "Are you finished?"

Even from seeing only his profile as Sokka scowled, he figured the answer was no…

Without a voice the water tribe boy raised his meteorite made sword and swung towards him, aiming at his head again but Zuko quickly raised his own, defending himself again…

Sokka let out a deep breath then a groan as he let his arm fell back again.

The prince halfway lowered his weapon as he counted in himself up to five… then asked again. "What about now?"

The water tribe warrior clenched his fist on the handle of his sword and raised it again - but as the firebender also held his one already – Sokka pulled his arm back.

By the time Zuko did the same, the other groaned loudly again. "I just can't believe that out of _all people_ she had to hook up with you…"

The prince remained silent. He didn't plan to anger the other teen, who finally didn't attack him, but as he went on a frown appeared on his face.

"I mean… Haru looks better than you. And yeah, that moustache literally _hits_ you when you first look at it, but still…" Sokka shrugged. "And there was Jet… well, he definitely looked better than you!" He said with a side glance at Zuko, who only seemed to look ahead of himself as the new information slowly settled in his brain.

"And if he didn't have this obsession of getting rid of the Fire Nation…"

_Jet…?_The prince only blink. He didn't exactly know what was going on right then, but as the other went on he felt like he was spinning around while knowing well that he didn't move at all. _Haru…?_

"…and, of course we have to consider Aang…" Zuko clenched his jaw. All what he heard here seemed to fuel his usual anger but it was caused by something different… a very stupid feeling, which was called jealousy.

"I mean he's her best friend, the avatar _and _he cared for her ever since we've left the South Pole, while…" Another side glance towards Zuko was enough for Sokka to start smirking. "You were chasing and attacking us from the beginning…"

Zuko slowly sat up, leaving his swords beside him while bringing a hand to his forehead rubbing it with force. He shouldn't feel things like that… if someone then he could not tell her what to do after all the things he had done and she forgave.

"But interrupt me if you think I'm wrong…" He heard Sokka, but he only shook his head letting his hand through his hair.

The water tribe boy's lips curled upwards again. He wanted to shock him… he had the right to do so! _It was him who hit on my sister… so I'm not going to let him live from now on!_

"It must be for your title…" He said and sat up too, stretching his arms. "She probably wasn't satisfied enough with just being the chief's daughter."

At this point Zuko let out a strange noise that probably started with a hiccup but turned into hard coughing. He put both of his hands beside him then looked at the fully smirking other. "Your father is the chief?! And… I thought…" His voice slowly died out as he remembered how many times he called them peasants…

"Yeah, from your variable expressions we figured what you'd thought." He smirked as he lifted himself up from the ground while the prince was still sitting in his place with a startled expression on his face. _For some reasons… it's fun to mess him up… _Sokka thought as he let his hand fell on the firebender's shoulder, getting him out of his thoughts. "So now that you're aware of that, don't even dream about her without your throne _and_ a nice palace." His smile widened as he shrugged once. "But maybe even then things might depend on the country…"

"You're mocking me…" Zuko slowly let himself smirk before standing up and looking at the other. "This means you're not planning to kill me anymore?"

For a moment Sokka only watched the 'guy-his-sister-chose' then shrugged. "No, this just means that you've survived till round two…"

* * *

By the time Zuko had found Katara, it was already late enough that he started to get worried when she was not in either her or his rooms. For a slight moment – which would have turned longer if he hadn't finally seen her - he even thought back to what Sokka had said, and horrible images appeared in his head where Katara was in the arms of someone else…

But when he hurried through one last hall before heading to the others, he caught sight of her blue clothes, while she stood in the middle of a fountain, bending the water around her.

He stopped in mid-move and his mouth stayed open as his gaze wandered around her perfect form and fluid movements, which she did with closed eyes. His mind slowly recalled the feeling of holding her close to him… the way her fingers trailed around his back… the way she said his name…

"Zuko…?"

He blinked as he realized she was looking at him then slowly shook his head to clear his thoughts before going to her with a smile. "I told you we'd talk, didn't I?"

She showed him a bright smile when she slowly remembered why she wanted to see him before. "Oh, right…" She said then waved after blinking sometimes. "Come here." He already stood next to the fountain but when she said this he only raised an eyebrow, so she went on while slowly walking up to him.

"I just remembered…" She spoke while holding eye-contact with him. "What I've promised to you under Ba Sing Sei."

Zuko first looked confused but as she bended some water above her opened palm his eyes widened with realization. He looked back to her ocean blue eyes and she smiled at him again. "Just get in…"

He didn't hesitate much and stepped in the knee-deep water of the fountain, and stood before her with a strange, nervous feeling inside him. "What do you want me to do?" He asked anxiously while her expressions slowly changed in focus as her hand began to glow.

"Just close your eyes and we'll see…"

Her hand slowly moved to his face, and he could slightly see the closing light through lidded eyes when he slowly felt the glowing hand stroke the left side of his face.

Katara's eyebrows furrowed as she moved her hand to his skin, but all it did was nothing more but a single massage on his scar. She moved her hand a bit to see if it affected his eyelid or not… but there was still no change. _Oh no… _Her other hand brought more glowing water to his face while a pang settled itself within her. But it was all in vain…

It didn't matter if it was a full moon. It didn't matter that she tried her best… _I can't heal him… _She bit in her lower lip as she felt her eyes filled with tears yet again…

He had no idea how healing should work… he had never even seen it up close, but when her hands stopped and he felt as the water flowed down from her hands and on his face he presumed that he could open his eyes now.

And when he did, she saw her lowered head and closed eyes as tears ran down her cheeks while her hands were still reaching out to his face. She didn't dare to tell him it didn't work…

Her blue eyes wide opened when a hand brushed her cheek, whipping away her tears. She looked up at him and only saw that he smiled at her with one of his rare smiles and a loving glance in his eyes.

She quickly let out a shaky breath then spoke. "It… it didn't…" She managed to say when her hands slowly left his face and rested upon his chest. "But it's not over! It was just simple water, but if… if we get some from the Spirit Oasis again…" She tried to go on, when his index finger slowly went to her lips, silencing her.

"It's okay…" He whispered after her eyes showed a slight confusion why he didn't let her go on. "I told you, it's a scar. It doesn't heal." Her eyebrows moved slightly closer as he said this out. "But it is all right…" He said when he slowly moved his hands to cup her face. "Of course if you can stand my face, that is." He said with a slight joke in his voice, but she saw in his eyes that he was entirely serious this time.

Her expressions softened when her hand made its way up to the left side of his face, and she gently stroked the skin there with her thumb. She pulled his head closer to hers with her other hand to place kisses upon the line of his eyebrow, his eyelid and his cheek before slowly turning his head to whisper in his scarred ear, while he couldn't help shivering. - But of course if anyone asked him, it was only because the water they stood in was cold… that was the only possibility for these sensations.

"I don't simply stand it Zuko…" She whispered so close to his ear, that he felt her breath upon his skin. "But I'd love to see it for a long time." She slowly moved to face him again while his golden eyes bore into hers, showing the soul he usually would have tried to hide from anyone but her… and a little part of her knew this when her lips curled up into a smile once again. "And it always amazes me…" She spoke again on a low voice, when blowing a kiss upon the edge of his scar one more time as her arms trailed around her neck. "How you can't resist when I kiss you here…"

His eyes opened with surprise again and she'd let out a giggle as she'd seen a slight embarrassment upon his expressions, but he recovered from it almost immediately and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a passionate kiss as if he hadn't felt her this close for ages now.

The water slowly whirled around them and formed little drops, which reflected the full moon's light all around them while the two of them stood in the fountain, in each other's embrace - until her knees slowly gave away and made her hold onto him…

* * *

It was their dance… of fire and water, love and hatred, good and evil…

They balanced each other ever since the world existed. And it didn't matter what the circumstances were, they seemed to find each other even if they were worlds apart… just as the two lovers of an ever-changing maze… because love always found a way…

The End


	12. Teashop

I don't own the Avatar: the Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Teashop**

He heaved a sigh while drying his forehead with the back of his hand. The other still held the broom he used after finishing the sweeping, and now he rather just leaned on it than doing anything else…

_It was another long day in the teashop, but…_ His eyes slowly wandered to the side, following the blue clothed waterbender. _Times like this I don't mind it much… _For some silent moments he let his eyes follow her swift moves as she cleaned up the tables, the way a single hair lock fell on her shoulder… the way her hips swayed as she made her steps to the other table as if she had made the moves of a special dance only for him…

Zuko let the edge of his lips curl upwards as he slowly closed the front door, turning the key in its place…

She blew out a big amount of breath as she reached the last table. _Finally…_ She leaned on the table with a hand while the other wiped off it with a mop. _And this is almost clean…_

She let out a small gasp as two arms wrapped around her from behind, but she slowly let a smile come to her lips as she felt the familiar warm breath of her firebender on the back of her neck. Katara giggled lightly as he nuzzled her neck. "Zuko…"

"Mine." He purred before letting his lips trail upon the delicate skin of her neck, and a smirk came to his lips as she let out a moan in his arms. Whatever he had done wrong in his life before he must have paid for it already, because now she was the best thing in his life and she had chosen him. Of all people… the one with a scar upon his face.

The mop fell out of her hand long ago when she finally turned in her place to face him and for a moment they just held each other's gaze while their foreheads were pressed together. His golden eyes shone in the low light and her blue ones slowly lit up as they exchanged smiles.

Her arms were around his neck, his were upon her waist, but in the next moment - as their lips passionately collided – his hold moved to her hips, lifting her up and then she's on the table, while her legs were around him, and he leaned forward as she leaned backwards, when…

There's a strange cracking voice and their eyes popped open, because then one of the table's legs gave away, and he almost whirled on his heels to shift below her when they fell to the ground. He winced as his back hit the ground, and she lifted her weight off of him with widened eyes before his hands pulled her back. Then he smiled up at her like nothing had happened, and they found themselves laughing on the floor before their lips met again.

"I forgot this was the broken-legged table…" He murmured and she giggled again as he was kissing her neck, buttoning her uniform, while her fingers dug in his back… and then came his apron then his shirt and they slowly lost track of the world, because all that mattered… all they cared for was the other, the now and this feeling that they wanted to feel forever.

* * *

**_A/N: Ok, this is really short according to what u got accustomed to... but I just wanted to say that I'm alive, but my exams are starting again, soo... I'm a bit busy right now, sorry._**

**_Till then, I'm uploading another story of mine - Unexpected - and once the exams are over I'll write more again, and continue the All I Need, and this short story collection too..._**

**_Leave me some encouraging words till the next time, plz!_**


	13. Katara's Drink

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Katara's ****Drink**

It just happened that on one night – again back in the Fire Nation – the gaang decided to have some fun. More likely _Toph _brought up the idea of getting some drinks in town – she said that if they were adult enough to save the world then they were adult enough to drink too. So at least she got two companions who either thought it was a good plan… or just wanted to brag before the other and left anyway.

Of course when Katara found this out from the only one who knew about it, but didn't go as he respected his people's traditions, she got angry rather quickly. She had enough of all the three of them… it was hard enough with just Toph and her brother… but with the oh-so-good-example fire prince… it just made her blood boil.

So as she had found the three of them laughing or chuckling to themselves, and she reprimanded them, she only needed one retort from the blind bender which made her want to prove how wrong the other girl was. She could no longer come with the 'you-can't-have-fun' note! She would not let it happen again!

So she made something stupid. Grabbing a full glass from before Zuko, she sent down maybe the most horrible flavoured… _thing _in her life, while three pairs of eyes watched her with disbelief. The liquid burned her throat as if someone had blown fire through her mouth, but she swallowed it without hesitation while her eyes turned teary…

This was what led into a smirking metalbender, a slightly smiling firebender and a hardened gazed water tribe warrior, who started ranting about the way _she_ acted…

But for some reasons, she suddenly completely stopped caring about their decision, and just to make him shut up, she decided to give him a little slap… which somehow came out as a punch in his face, making his nose bleed…

So the other two had two things to do – take care of Sokka's nose and get a tipsy Katara back to the camp…

--

"I just wanted to prove that I can have fun too! Because I can!" Katara ranted to the scarred teen beside her, while the way she walked was not completely straight, but at least they were heading somewhere. "I'm not always... always the... the... the one who's..."

"Responsible?" He popped in her monologue.

"YEsh!" She said loudly and as she almost tripped in her own leg, he moved quickly to get a hold of her arms. But then she only giggled like a little girl who just got a new toy. "Thanks..."

His only eyebrow rose. "Are you all right?"

She made a grin – really unlike herself - then made a nod. So he let go of her arms, straightening in his place, but as in the next moment she started to lean to the side – like the ground would have sloped under her – he caught her again.

"Ok, at least we can agree that you Won't drink the next time." He said with a frown upon his face, but for some reasons she must have found it incredibly funny, because she started chuckling again. "Hey, I am… I'm serious…" He tried to gain her attention, but couldn't help a smile himself as the waterbender laughed on, while patting him once on his upper arm.

"No, noh…" She slowly took some deep breaths. "I'm sorry. It's just…" One last chuckle left her. "My head is so… strangely 'light' right now…" She pointed at his chest then. "Because… even though I know I _should_ yell with you right now... just as I planned, but… I don't care anymore. Luck, isn't it?" Her smile remained on her face, as she looked back at him, and for a moment she was just watching that little smile he wore before it slowly faded.

And then out of nowhere… "Zuko, can I ask you something?" Her brows slightly furrowed meaning she was serious, so he just made a nod as his answer. "...but answer me honestly, will you?"

Zuko only frowned at her question... she hardly stood on her legs and she suddenly wanted _his _opinion?

He let out a sigh. "Ok..." He finally said, but his eyes slightly rounded as her hands get a hold of his ones then pulled them to her hips before he could protest.

"It's broad, isn't it...?"

"W-what...?" He tried to move his hands away, but she pushed them back, before looking up at his golden eyes. "I-I don't under..." When her hands slowly moved to his lower arms he swallowed before only whispering the end. "...stand."

But with the current state she was in she didn't seem to realize his embarrassment. "Sokka says..." She started quickly while he didn't even dare to breathe, let alone move. "That I have broad hips. And that's why I tried to somehow hide it, but not too effectively so..." Her voice disappeared for a moment as a low hiccup remained in her throat. "Sowhatdoyousay? I mean about this...? The... the hips?"

His mouth stayed open for a minute or so, while she only leaned on his arms to make her stance stabile, then he finally started to speak on a low voice. "Well I... haven't actually thought about it... before..." He tried to explain - or rather deny the truth in front of her, but went on anyway. "But, now... that I think about it..." He said, and unconsciously licked his lower lip. "You know... it just only strengthens a... contrast, because..." As he went on his hands slowly made their way upwards on her sides, stopping at her waist. "You have the slimmest waist."

She's looking at him with surprise then a slight smile formed on her lips as he turned his head away. "I-I mean from what I've seen..." His eyes rounded then he turned back to her at once. "Not like I've seen much! I was just trying to say... that..." While her blue eyes were boring into his golden ones, he felt as his face slowly turned to a crimson colour. "That it's really... really..."

As he didn't finish what he started she slowly raised one of her eyebrows, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Slim?" She asked with a smile forming on her lips.

"Y-yeah…" He said then cast his gaze downwards, before she let out a giggle again.

"Zuko... are you blushing?"

The prince instantly scoffed, not looking her in the eye. "You're already seeing things…" He adjusted his hold on her arms so that he only held one of them, and slowly started to lead her, as he planned first. "It's better if I just lead you back to the camp."

She glanced up at him many times with a small smile tugging at the edge of her lips on their way, but he concentrated on their surroundings rather then the fact that he felt her eyes upon him…

So when they've finally reached back to camp, where everyone seemed to be already asleep he felt relieved while leading her to her sleeping bag. "All right… we're here." While heaving a sigh, he slowly turned back to her as he let go of her hand. Now she didn't have difficulties with standing anymore. "Do you need anything else?" He asked with a slight smirk.

Katara smiled up at him then slowly shook her head.

"All right then..." He said lowly. "Good night." He made a slight nod with his head, and turned in his place, but then…

"Zuko…" She called out, and as he felt a hand on his right shoulder he turned his head to the side.

"Ye…?" His voice remained in his throat as soft lips brushed the right side of his face.

The whole thing didn't last longer than a moment and his good eye could only see into those deep ocean-blue orbs after she slowly pulled away. A slight pink painted her usually tanned cheeks, and as his ear turned to a light crimson colour too, she let her lips curl into a small smile. "Good night Zuko…"

She turned away getting in her sleeping bag, while he slowly lifted a hand to the place she kissed… And a smile came to his lips before he would have turned away, which stayed there longer than he'd have first thought…

Just for a second she looked up at him as he walked away but her eyes slowly closed before he peeked back behind him too.

If someone would have told them this morning that this was going to happen, probably both would have just laughed. Destiny was truly a funny thing…

* * *

**_A/N: Hehe... well, I'm not entirely back in my biig writing state... I'm a bit lazy yet... sorry for that!_**

**_But - because it's fun and I loved every other fic like this XD - I've written my first drunk!fic._**

_**Thanks for your time, leave me a review if you're here, m'kay? XD (After more than a year I've realized how to enable it to everyone...)**_


	14. ZW Zigzag

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 1 – Zigzag**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

Fire Lord Zuko's arms circled in the air for maybe the hundredth time that night on the training grounds. Hs fingertips left some sparks behind them, but when the two met and he shot his right arm forward…

BOOM!

With a lot of smoke and an explosion his body flew backwards in the air. He rolled on the ground twice or three times before he finally stopped with his face downwards. Unfortunately for his uncle – who happened to arrive in that moment – he remained on the ground fuming for some moments, making the old man run up to him – as much as his old bones let him. The last two years left their signs on both of them.

"Zuko!" The nineteen-year-old firebender gritted his teeth while raising his head then slammed one of his fists in the ground with small flames running around it before rising up, helped by his old uncle. "Are you all right? What happened? Why couldn't you bend lightning…?"

"Because I can't do it anymore!" The teen snapped, shaking off the old man's hand from his shoulder.

Iroh gave his back a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"

His nephew heaved a sigh. He lowered his head but did not turn back to look at him. "It's gone. And I don't know why…" The young fire lord murmured before Iroh stepped beside him, but even now he brought his gaze away from his uncle. The funny thing was that whenever his nephew lied, he did the same…

"I see," The Dragon of the West put his hands in his sleeves with a small nod. "And since when have you faced this problem?"

Zuko couldn't help frowning because his uncle managed to ask this question as if he had meant something entirely different… but he shrugged that thought away before answering. "I could not create a single lightning for a month now."

Iroh nodded in thought. "So since you broke up with Mai?"

"That was at least a week before it!" Zuko almost yelled, but restrained himself, going on in a lower voice. "That has nothing to do with it." There was a moment of silence but as Iroh did not say anything, he added with only a whisper. "Since I've talked with Azula…"

His uncle started coughing before turning him in his place with disbelief all over his face. "You did what?!"

Zuko raised his hands while trying to calm Iroh down. "Look, it is ok. I've talked with her from time to time since she's in that cell… she means no harm without her bending."

"She would still love to see you dead, did you forget that?"

The boy only let a sad half-smile come to his lips. "No, I didn't."

Retired General Iroh let out a deep breath as he bowed his head behind him. "What did she say to you?" His nephew's gaze wandered up at the night sky. The moon and the stars were just as beautiful as that night…

-- FLASHBACK --

The huge metal doors closed behind him when he stopped at the edge of the red carpet. Right before him, in the middle of at least a dozen pillows – all different shades of red – knelt a girl. With lowered head, her slim fingers massaging her temples, Princess Azula murmured seemingly ahead of her. "It's been a month already…? You always come with this headache."

"Hi Azula." Zuko said before sitting at the edge of the carpet. "How are you?"

The princess slowly raised up her head her hair flowing around her face and her golden eyes, which used to flare once whenever he had appeared, carried a calm, almost happy look. "How does a bird feel in a cage?"

The young fire lord lowered his gaze, but it only made his sister laugh out lightly. "You look miserable today… it's a refreshing sight." She grinned, but as he did not give her a glare as she hoped so, her lips formed a pout.

"We broke up."

Azula looked at him with a raised brow, but then a smile appeared on her face as she sat up. "I knew it…"

This time he looked up at her at once. "Was Mai here?"

"No." His sister leaned backwards, holding a red silk pillow in her arms. "Let's just say after that prison incident she did not exactly miss me."

Zuko frowned hardly at her. "Then how…?"

Her laugh silenced him. Azula sat up, placing the pillow in her lap with a smirk. "So you seriously don't know?" He only blinked at her, and her golden eyes filled with a smile. "Gods Zuzu, you're such an idiot."

"What are you implying, damn it?!" He snapped which made her slightly shake her head.

"Do you remember what you told me the last time, about the avatar and that water girl?" Azula asked with an eyebrow up, gaining a nod from her brother. "That they visited you together, and how strange she had been around you?" Her gaze turned upwards for a moment. "The first thing I told you was that I was surprised that they got together at all…"

"What does this have to do with me and Mai?" He started, but she leaned forward with a smirk.

"Tell me, why did you break up?"

"It… didn't work out actually." He answered lowly but he still did not get where she headed with these questions… maybe her mind was still not completely clear. "We've become distant; maybe we've been apart for too long, I don't know…"

"Oh Zuzu, there is a more obvious reason to this." Azula seemed rather happy. "You did not love her."

"You are wrong! I did love her." He said sharply, but she only shrugged.

"You loved when she kissed you. That's a big difference…"

"What would _you_ know about love?" Zuko asked coldly. "You've never loved anyone except yourself!"

Azula's eyes narrowed, but she did not retort anything. She crossed her arms before her while the edge of her lips curled upwards again. "Do you remember that day, our last fight?" Her eyes showed a glint of her once fearful cold fire as she started speaking while holding his gaze. "You did not win, it was _her_ who won after you fall…"

Zuko's expressions darkened. He got to his feet and spoke while the dark red robes around him fall back to place. "I'm not going to listen to this." He said before turned to leave. "Good-bye…"

"Why do you think I aimed at her?" Her voice made him froze in mid-move. He only peeked back at her from the corner of his scarred eye. And now she was wearing that evil smile again… "Not in my wildest dreams have I expected that you'll jump before her like that…"

"Azula, stop." He said, but his voice did not sound as strong as he wanted it to. As if something inside him wanted to hear what she has to say.

"You were still shaking on the ground, but you were reaching out towards her while she tried to avoid my flames…"

"I said stop it!" He yelled, but the girl on the ground did not even move a muscle.

"Remember her eyes? How did they fill with tears because of such a pathetic fool like you?" Azula let out a laugh again, but this sounded more like the crazed ones he heard from her at the beginning. He felt a pang of guilt and pity for his sister now.

"Azula, please…" He stepped towards her, but she still went on making him stop.

"The poor girl… that little peasant…" The princess chuckled. "She was so lost, so sad when I told her how much Mai loved you…" Zuko's fingers formed fists by his sides. "And how much you loved her!"

_Was that__ the reason why she avoided me back then? _He clenched his jaw._ And how Mai appeared so soon?_

"She ran straight into the avatar's opened arms to forget you! How couldn't you see it?" Her cold laugh suddenly made him shiver. He retreated from her form, turning on his heels to get out of that room. Away from her treacherous thoughts and teasing voice… "And now it's too late!" _Azula always lies…_ His hands banged on the metal door, signing the guards to open it.

The two guards either swallowed or stepped back when they have looked in Princess Azula's cold golden eyes. "Sweet dreams, brother! See you next month..."

As the double doors started closing, her laughter rang through the corridors behind him and he had to force himself not to push his hands above his ears.

-- NOW --

"Zuko," His uncle's voice made him snap out of his thoughts. "What did she say to you?"

The young bender's gaze only slowly left his uncle's worried one. "Nothing…" He said with only a whisper, but before Iroh could have reached out for him, he already returned to his bending moves, this time only making fire appear around him. His uncle knew that he could have gotten to him through the flames anyway, but when he had been like this it was better to leave him to his thoughts. He was not that young boy anymore who he taught the basics of firebending. He had been Fire Lord for two years now, and did not need the proverbs of an old tea-maker any longer…

"General Iroh?" A voice sounded from behind him, and the old man heaved a sigh. _Retired. Retired General._ When he turned back, he saw a young guard standing behind him, who now straightened up even more, taking off his helmet with unsure moves to salute him, which made Iroh slightly smile. "T-there is an ambassador, asking for permission to talk with the fire lord!"

The Dragon of the West leaned closer to the guard signing him to answer lowly. "Who is it?" When he heard the name, his smile returned. "Lead her in…"

Zuko's flames whirled around him while his arms circled in the air. The original red and yellow fire mixed with shade of pink and purple ones as he felt sweat ran down his neck and back, between his shoulder blades while his mind raced back in time because of the memories Azula whirled inside him. He remembered what people said about them… him and Mai…

_The perfect royal pair… full of grace and elegance__.  
Did you hear that they had a childhood crush? - Oh, that's so romantic…!  
Aren't they the best couple you've seen…?_

Why did he not see the same before? Why couldn't he feel as happy as he was expected to?

Of course, there had been gossips about his friends too. _Avatar Aang and his Lady Katara…  
They are so sweet and innocent…  
He saved her many times. – And he saved the whole world too! He's a hero everyone loves… I so envy her!  
Yes, they were meant to be together…!_

Why did he not cheer for his friends as much as Mai did…? Why was that when a certain pair of blue eyes met his gaze, he did not see the same look like in Aang's grey ones?

_A__nd what does it matter now?! _He waved his arms with a last yell, letting the fire slowly perish in the air. He took deep breaths while looking down at his hands… then slowly his gaze reached the skin above his chest. Azula's voice rang one last time in his ears: _"She ran straight into the avatar's opened arms to forget you! How couldn't you see it?"_

His breathing slowly evened as the heat left the air around him. A slight breeze caressed his tired body, but the question forming in his mind made it feel hard and cold. _What are you going to do now?_

He slowly straightened up. _She's with Aang now. And she is happy… there's only one thing for me to do…_ His lips formed a sad smile as his gaze turned to the sky. "I will let you go…" He whispered.

Then his arms started circling in the air, and the sparks followed his fingertips through the motions without disappearing…

A slim figure stepped out from the shadows right in that moment as the lightning left Zuko's fingers, zigzagging through the air. The loud thunder covered the low footsteps of her form before she got closer to him from behind… her tanned fingers removed the dark blue hood from her head, letting the moon's light shine upon the blue pendant in her neck. "Fire Lord…"

When the firebender turned in his place, his smile slowly changed into a disbelieving expression. "You…?" His mouth stayed open until Katara stepped towards him.

"I have…" She started but she hesitantly stopped, averting her gaze. "Heard about Mai." Zuko finally got over his surprise, closing his mouth as she went on. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you…" Her lips formed a smile, but he saw it was rather nervous than happy. "Maybe I should have told you a long time ago…"

"Where is Aang?" He blurted out. His voice came out hoarsely and somehow sounded alien from his own…

"He brought me here." Zuko was about to look around, when her voice stopped him. "But he's gone now." The waterbender finally looked up at him, her soothing blue eyes locked with his golden ones for a long moment before she spoke again. "We are no longer together…"

* * *

**_A/N: Ok, let me explain: there had been a second Zutara Week among some of us on deviantart, and I made bigger efforts this time than with the first one. Though then I haven't been at home etc. no one cares XD even I don't... so Zutara Week 2, Day 1 : Zigzag! _**

**_I hope you liked it._**


	15. ZW Utopia or Unite

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 2 – Utopia or Unite  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

The Fire Lady walked through a corridor in the royal wing of the Fire Palace. For more than a week now it had been only her who took care of everything, since the Fire Lord left to the Earth Kingdom to settle some difficulties around the boulders.

The silence which surrounded her in the moonlit area signed that her children either found themselves a game which did not include yelling and shouting as usual, or…

When she reached the room of Kazuki her lips curled upwards into a smile. Both the prince and his 8-year-old twin sister were soundly asleep on the huge red sheeted bed.

Amaya was lying on her back, her head on a pillow while her legs were crossed upon her brother's back, who rested his head upon his arms, right above an opened book.

As she got closer, Katara could see a picture beside Kazuki's head which she recognized at once… the illustration showed a ball room lit with only candles where – right in the middle – two figures danced, holding each other's gaze: the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady, Zuko's and her alter egos.

This book told the story of the second play she had seen on Ember Island, which was about the tale of how the Fire Lord found his true love… She found it incredible that anyone would be interested in the two of them, but Zuko explained that it had been almost a custom in the Fire Nation to be curious about its leader. And he thought that if they were going to see their lives on the stage again anyway, he would rather face with reality this time…

But when the play turned out to be a success, even he had been surprised. And the fact that Katara changed her mind about watching plays – certainly not to his joy – meant that they have seen it themselves for a few times already. Amaya loved it the most, Kazuki enjoyed those parts more where the Blue Spirit turned into action…

Lady Katara stroked her son's brown hair, whose blue eyes popped open. He slowly blinked and started smiling when she whispered his name. "I would save you from the pirates too, Mom…"

The waterbender tried to suppress a giggle with raising a hand before her lips then spoke again. "It's time to sleep Kazuki." She removed his sister's legs from his back before the boy lifted himself up from the book. He murmured something about getting in his pyjamas, but she stopped him with blowing a kiss on his forehead. "You're already wearing them sweetie…" She closed then put the book down to the boy's bedside table before turning to his sister.

The dark skinned and haired girl was hugging a doll with a smile. The doll itself was a figure of Toph's actor from the previous play of the Ember Isle… of course it was Auntie Toph herself who brought it to the kids. She thought it was 'awesome'. When she showed the twins that if its hand was pulled it would blench, Katara could say anything but the youngsters did not want to let go of it. She realized that if she had protested more fiercely they would have only loved it more, so this time she gave up… while inwardly cursing their Auntie Toph.

Katara brushed a feather away from her daughter's forehead, but Amaya only frowned without opening her golden eyes at all. Her mother gently scooped her up, and her gaze fell on her son, who started to walk away from his bed. "Kazuki, where are you going?"

"Potty break…" The boy murmured, while rubbing his eyes. "Good night, Mom."

"Good night…" Katara only whispered now that she lifted Amaya up, but this short conversation was enough for the princess to stir awake.

Her arms circled her mother's neck while her hand still held the doll. "I'm not tired yet Mom…" She mumbled in her neck before a yawn escaped her, but the Fire Lady only shook her head slightly then kissed her cheek too.

Kazuki walked out of the bathroom in the same moment as they stepped out, and with almost completely closed eyes he got in his bed. He yawned once, while stretching his arms but before the sleep overcame him, he whispered seemingly only to the darkness. "Good night Dad…"

But of course the darkness wouldn't have blinked in surprise several times because of that, before silently sneaking out of the room.

* * *

"My little princess…" Katara lightly laughed. "Soon I won't be able to carry you like this." Amaya smiled with her head on her mother's shoulder as she went on. "And now that you have your own room you keep on going back to your brother's one…"

"We were reading about you, Mommy…" She said before lifting her head up to look at her. "And that dance Mom, I so love that!" Katara carried her into her room while Amaya slowly whispered: _"…and they were the most wonderful dancers the World had seen. They knew not who the other was, or if the other had someone too… but that night, they were no longer the Fire Lord and the Ambassador of the Water Tribes…"_ When her mother placed her down in her bed, she leaned backwards with a smile gracing her features as she finished. _"That night, in full disguise, without words… they had been free."_

Her mother smiled down at her after tucking her in. "Yes, and after the dance they went home and slept peacefully during the whole night." She said, but Amaya only crossed her arms above her Toph figure with a frown upon her face.

"Mom, that's not how the story went on…" She complained, but her eyes unfortunately started to close anyway while she tried to mumble. "There was a kiss too, and they were… awake for hours after… they part-… ed…" And with that, she had fallen asleep.

The Fire Lady's smile reduced as she turned her gaze to the side. Where had Zuko been in that moment? In Omashu? Maybe in Ba Sing Sei…?

She recalled how hard it was for her not to toss and turn the whole night since he left. That double bed was too big to lay there alone… She slowly rose from the edge of her daughter's bed so that she would not wake her again, then silently headed back to the corridor.

When he was there they always slept between blue sheets. He said he loved to see her with her true colours, not in his which always surrounded them anyway. But when he was not there, she only used red bed linen. Otherwise she probably wouldn't have slept at all…

She reached up to her head, pulling out the flame shaped hairpin from her bun before opening the door to the bedroom. Her long wavy hair fell around her form freely as she came to a halt in the doorway. The sheets on the bed were changed to blue ones.

She let out a huff while her expressions changed into one which mixed sadness with a pained look. Some servants probably came in and did their job… she could not blame them for that. But this meant that even the second week had passed. Was that too childish to miss someone who you loved…?

Her hand let go of the door as she stepped forward with slumped shoulders, but then…

A gasp escaped her as an arm fell around her waist from behind then as she tried to hit backwards with her other hand the person behind her took a hold of her wrist. Her blue eyes slightly widened in the dark room as she felt the familiar warmth around her when the man behind her pulled her close… "Surprise."

"Zuko!" She shouted as she whirled in his arms, placing her hands on the sides of his face. She felt tears gather in the corner of her eyes as she saw those golden eyes and the smile on his handsome face. "You're here!" She cried, and when he was about to say something her lips collided with his, silencing him in the best way she could, and his arms pulled her even closer while her ones grasped and urged and stroke, before he finally needed to slightly push on her to let himself get some air…

"W-wow…" He breathed and he let himself make a smirk while they both took deep breaths. "That's what I call welcome…" Katara did not even try to answer. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her head fell on his shoulder. For a long moment the only things that existed to her were his warmth and his scent which she missed so much… She listened to his steady heartbeat while his fingers played with her hair, lifting some locks up to his face to feel the wildflowers and faintly the ocean itself.

"How can you do this?" He whispered, making her lift her head to meet his gaze.

"How can I do what?" She asked confusedly. His smile softened and he pulled her even closer to him. As if he had felt that she would disappear if he let her go…

"How can you be more beautiful every time I return home?" She only smiled in his shoulder before slowly letting her hands move down to his chest. She felt as his hands trailed from her waist to her hips, then lower, and she peeked up to see his eyes focused only upon her, with a mischievous smile. "Would you dance with me?"

She gave him a look at first, because she did not expect _that_ at that moment. "I've heard the kids…" He said, and she smiled up at him proudly, only how a mother could.

"But there's no music." She spoke but hardly had she finished it, somebody near happened to solve this problem, because the room filled with a low tune. Her smile brightened as her husband put out his hand, and she placed hers in his, letting out a light giggle as he spun around with her in a slow motion.

"We don't dance enough you know…" He said lowly, and she only agreed with closed eyes while her body closely followed his.

As long as the music stayed with them – it did not last too long, only a couple of minutes – they only danced like that with smiles upon their faces while their eyes bore into the other's, just like on a certain night, years ago.

Then, as the music died, they stopped but did not let any distance between them. _"…And when last song reached its end,"_ Katara whispered, making Zuko smile as she slowly leaned towards him. _"The Painted Lady's hands lifted up the Spirit's mask, while he dared not to move, fearing she would flee…" _She said, but she did not go on after they shared a kiss once again.

Her fierce kiss, her urging hands… the glint in her eyes, which reflected his… When his lips met hers once again, he knew that this night, was far from over.

"_And the tale lived on, about the Waterbender and the Fire Lord. The world's saviours who were blessed by the spirits themselves…"_

* * *

**_A/N: Ok, so this was the second day of Zutara Week. :) I'm only updating so that you won't be bored! XD _**

**_Oh, I just realized that I probably haven't uploaded my short fics about my OCs Amaya and Kazuki, who are Zuko's and Katara's children - obviously... Hmm, if you want to know more about them, just say so and I'll correct my mistake! ;)  
_**

**_Review, plz! Bye-bye!  
_**


	16. ZW Trim

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 3 – Trim  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

"No!" The firebender yelled while he ran through a building. He only came to a halt when he reached the last terrace of the Western Air Temple. He whirled on his heels when Katara – still in a run - lifted the scissors in her hand. "Woo stop, stop!" He yelled, raising his hands between them as he took another step back. She finally stopped too with flushed face.

"I said…" He took deep breaths to calm down his racing heart then waved with a cough. "No one. Will cut off my hair."

The waterbender clenched her fists beside her – upon the handle of the scissors… "Look, we told you what the plan was, and then you agreed if one of us wins against you, then you will…"

"One! I said one of you, not _all_ _of you_!"

"But we did _not_ attack at the same time." She said with a hand on her hip, and on a voice, which showed that this detail made her clearly feel justified. But then a triumphant smirk appeared on her face. "Oh, so you don't want to accept it because it was _I_ who sent you down, right?"

Zuko's face darkened. "You could only do that because Toph was about to send spikes through my feet. _Spikes!_" The tanned skinned girl only rolled her eyes. "She kept on murmuring 'revenge' the whole day and just when she stopped for a moment so that I could at least get some air in my lungs, you sneak-attacked me! What was I supposed to do?"

"Keep your promise after you let your guard down!" Katara shouted.

The prince crossed his arms. "I saw _the stars _in midday! It does not count!" He complained on, which made her loose her temper.

"Damn it, quit whining!" Her eyebrows snapped together furiously as she took a step towards him, making him start to retreat. "If I managed to shave off Haru's moustache then I _will_ trim your head too!"

Zuko scoffed. "Well that was not too hard, the poor guy was so scared of you he would have done anything to ease you."

"That's so not true." She said then her hand suddenly reached out without the scissors to grab him, but he easily jumped away. "Hold still already, it's just a little hair!"

"As if…!" She tried it once more with the same results, which made her grunt. "Look, you don't get it, in the Fire Nation hair is more than _just _hair." They both stopped for a moment so he had time to go on. "Its length does matter, ok? With short hair…" For some reasons Katara started laughing so hard that he almost did not finish. "I would be like the lowest p… servants!" He directly avoided the word peasant, but as she just laughed on and he understood what he said he instantly reddened. "That's so not funny…"

The waterbender finally took a deeper breath, drying one of her eyes before slowly speaking. "Ok, I'm cool now, so let me repeat it…" As she started walking again, he stepped backwards too. "Because Aang cannot master firebending in this small amount of time…"

"Well, we could still try!" He popped in.

"That's why we need someone who is by the way a master firebender, and make them look alike. So that when the time comes to invade the Fire Palace…"

"And…" His eyebrows furrowed. There had to be something else… "And what about the scar?" He blurted out, pointing at the side of his face. "You cannot seriously believe that such a familiarity would not be seen by the fire lord before…!"

"_That _is the reason why we tried to use make-up on your face to…"

"No way!" His eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to let Sokka draw fake eyelashes on my face again!"

Katara tried but could not suppress a giggle gaining a glare. "Oh-okay… I will do it this time, all right?" Zuko hesitantly stopped, why she offered him a smile. "I'll take care of it ok? And I won't make jokes this time, I swear. The scar, the hair," She lifted up the scissors while he let her finally get a hold of a hair-lock from before his eye. "And the arrows." This was what suddenly surprised him more, squirming out of her hands just before she could have started anything.

"The arrows?!"

In the meantime he took one last step backwards, but as she had managed to force him to the edge, he peeked down to see there was nowhere to run from here. When Katara lifted her hand with her 'weapon' again and her eyes locked with his, he found himself saying. "I'm not afraid of you…"

The waterbender's lips curled into a smirk. "Really? You definitely don't sound like it."

Zuko felt as a drop of sweat slowly made its way down his temple. He did not think he was going to need his last card, but… "Katara, please…" The girl's hand stopped as she looked up at him. His using the 'p' word had been too rare. "I… don't want to be _bald, _I have_…_" He started before bowing his head, going on. "The one time my head was shaved was when I've been banished. It's… really not a good memory…"

He peeked up at her from the corner of his eyes, but not to his joy instead of understanding, the girl only crossed her arms with a semi-dark look. "So tradition, Zuzu? And bad memories…?" He swallowed as her voice rang differently. The next moment it changed as if she had started a fairy tale. "Then let me tell you a little detail I've forgotten to mention before…"

"About a certain tree incident," The prince looked at her with his only eyebrow raised before she suddenly pointed at the necklace in her neck. "Do you know what this means?"

Her voice became half-taunting again, and his shoulders slightly slumped as guilt hit him for a second time. "I… I'm sorry." He said, and though he did not sound the same like in the caves of Ba Sing Sei, he was honest enough… - to get himself out of this situation, at least. "I did not know then that it belonged to your mother."

"No Zuzu, that's not it." A glint in his eyes showed that the nickname was just as annoying this time, than in any other time. "This necklace…" She let her hand touch it before saying the words really slowly. "Is given to girls _only_ after the marrying age…"

"Which means… what?" He asked confusedly before her eyes turned icy.

"By boys." She said, but after a minute he only blinked, making her hiss. "It's a betrothal necklace!" His good eye rounded. "You've basically asked me to marry you right in front of a group of drunken pirates and your uncle while I was tied to that tree!"

His mouth opened, but without a sound it closed again while even his ears pinked. Not like she could have avoided a blush, but she did not let anything else change in her expressions.

For an extremely long moment he only held her stare while she started stomping the ground with one of her feet. Then the hard wind finally reached them from behind, and moved his hair in his face then back…

In the end his shoulders slumped as he bowed his head completely so that she could surely reach it everywhere. "Just don't cut my neck, ok…?"

* * *

_**A/N: For the Lulz. XD Completely for the lulz... **_

_**Because we all knew what that necklace thing meant! XD**_

_** Oh boy, and Zuko looking like Aang? XD Seriously: lol...**_


	17. ZW Ribbon or Rope

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 5 – Ribbon or Rope  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

Lady Katara was running around in the royal bedroom. She lit candles, made the bed, which was sheeted in royal blue silk - the same colour and material as her improperly short nightgown had been.

She put on some perfume from a small glass vial then as she put it down but did not let go of it yet, she made a small smirk then bended some of it out, sending it around the room in a small cloud.

In the meantime she was crooning a tune of a song. She did not remember its title only that its lyrics had been 'Gonna Get Some Lovin' Tonight…'

After one last glance around the room she made a nod then went to the bathroom, standing before the mirror.

She let her hair down, and brushed through it with her fingers twice or three times. She looked at her reflection once more with a satisfied look before going back to the room.

She picked up a little basket from one of the tables then went to the bed and crawled in the middle of it while trying not to shrivel the sheets.

From the basked she picked out a handful of flower petals, gently throwing them around her then placed the basket under the bed before getting in her most luscious position, leaning backwards onto the pillows. Her lips curled upwards into a playful smirk.

Then she waited.

And waited…

After a while her smile faded. She changed her position, lying on her stomach and she leaned on her elbows while watching the door.

Then turned onto her back again, leaning to the wall with her legs, letting the blood flow back towards her heart.

Most of the candles burnt down. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with crossed arms and legs when finally the doorknob turned…

The door silently opened, but only enough for the scarred Fire Lord to peek in. He looked in the room and when he met the narrow gaze of his wife, he bit his lip before stepping in. Now she could see that he was in his 'training clothes' – which meant that he was wearing red pants, a pair of pointy shoes, and a towel around his neck. From looking at his well-toned upper body, which slightly glimmered in the candles' lights, she could guess where he had been in the last hour and a half.

"You are…" He started, trying to ease the tension with an awkward smile. "…still awake?"

The waterbender said nothing, but a glint appeared in her blue eyes which showed that she had been rather pissed. He slowly walked up to her, his smile softening. "You look amazing…" He whispered as he leaned towards her to kiss her on the lips, but she turned her head away defiantly with a frown upon her features. Then asked one of the most feared questions a man could hear.

"Do you know what today is?"

Suddenly he felt that the air around them became colder. Her icy blue eyes watched his expressions from up close as his mind searched for the answer.

_Gods, is it her birthday?_ His smile faded completely as he tried to erase any emotion from his face… _Wait, no. That's in November, now it is only March. Then what…?_ As she started to raise her chin up, the question popped out. "Is it… our anniversary?"

"Was that a question…?" Her look darkened further.

He was the ruler of a whole nation, a grown up man in his twenties, and yet he felt incredibly small at that moment under her accusing gaze. "I-it's…" He swallowed. "It is our anniversary." He said more convinced this time, but his voice was still not as strong as he wanted it to be.

"Exactly." She said then uncrossed her arms from before her chest unintentionally leading his gaze there at once, before making fists beside her. "That's why I just can't believe that you've felt the urge to stay away from me, bending _on your own_, instead of having the night of your life!" She snapped, standing up. He shook his head as she started to walk away.

"K-katara, wait…!" He said, getting a hold of her wrist from the side, which gained another narrow look from her. "I…" He let go of her hand while giving her a pleading look. "I'm sorry, but the council made me so…!" He let out a frustrated sigh before going on. "I just needed to let it out, but… I'll make it up to you?" The pleading changed into a half smirk as she slowly turned back towards him. "I'll just have a shower and be right here, ok?"

As her lips curled upwards, he expected her to agree, but as instead of a smile a small smirk appeared on her features, his only eyebrow raised.

Her hand reached up to his chest. "No Zuzu…" Her hand slowly pushed him backwards towards the bed. "I'm not letting you get out of my sight again." She almost purred, while pulling the towel away from his neck, throwing it away. In the next moment she pushed him a bit harder, and as his knees reached the bed's edge, he fell back right onto it. He leaned on his elbows, slightly scooting backwards as she crawled after him with a seductive smirk and lust in her eyes.

"S-sweetness," He started, with a nervous smile as he reached the headboard. "I'm all sweaty, I wouldn't want to ruin-…"

The waterbender straddled him, making him let out a bigger amount of breath before she leaned to his scarred ear with her hands resting upon his flat stomach. "Not as much as you will be…" She whispered before teasing his earlobe with her mouth and teeth. He did not suppress a low groan as her hands slowly moved lower, holding onto the silk belt of his pants. Her hands undid it, pulling it away from his torso as her kisses moved from his ear to his scar then ended upon his eager lips.

He tried to follow her as she slowly straightened into a sitting position above him, but one of her hands pushed him back while she held his sash in her hands. Zuko let out a plaintive noise, but as she eyed the belt, then with a smirk she ripped it into two thinner, almost ribbon-like pieces he frowned slightly. "What are you…?" _Doing?_ When he was about to ask, she leaned down to him again, sealing his lips with another kiss, making him muffle the last word in her mouth. Her hands slowly moved down his right arm, stopping at his wrist, and when he felt her wrapping the remainder of his belt to his hand, his eyes opened peeking to the side…

He broke the kiss with turning his head to the side and watched as her hands tied the temporary 'rope' to the headboard of their bed. His gaze returned to hers and she twitched her eyebrows at him. "I told you," As her hands moved to his left arm her lips trailed to his neck, and a moan escaped his lips as her hands tied his other arm too.

She sat up leaving him panting then said something which made even his ears pink. "You're not going anywhere…" She purred and let her hands move upon his firm muscles, before suddenly getting up, leaving him shudder as her warmth left him.

He lifted his head up as she walked away from the bed. "Hey, where are you going?" He asked with an impatient tone. Arousing him then leave him here? This was not something he was going to let… "I can just burn these off, did you forget that?"

"Just a minute," She smirked back at him before stepping in the bathroom. "I need something…"

Zuko let out a grunt before looking back at his wrists. He tried pulling on the silk, finding that she made a pretty good job with them for him not to get free only with that. He tried to reach his left wrist with his right hand to weaken the knots to surprise her in a good moment when she returned, but no matter what they were tied far enough from the other to make that possible…

He gave up as he heard her footsteps once again, and she had returned with a rather big bowl of water, placing it beside the bed. His eyebrows furrowed as she bended some of it out to circle in the air while she moved towards him. "You've upset me today, Zuko."

"I didn't mean to-…" He answered with guilt appearing in his eyes for a moment, but while holding his gaze she lowered herself down to him, his voice trailed away at once.

"But you have," She started with an almost evil smile. "That's why I'm going to have a little revenge on you." His eyes were confused, before she bended the water to her hand in a globe then pushed her fingers into it, freezing it to her fingertips. He couldn't help tensing below her at the sight of the pointy ice nails, and he gulped as she started lowering them towards his stomach. "And I have a rule for you for tonight…"

"Katara, wait a minute…" He tried popping in before she finished with a smirk.

"No bending." She whispered before letting the ice-nails meet with his heated skin…

He jerked below her with a hiss, but as the ice turned into steam, her eyebrows knitted together. "I said no bending Zuko." The firebender gritted his teeth, and with a growl he held back then stopped creating the steam… He took deeper breaths as she raised her hand up and he leaned his head back. But then her other hand rose again, bending some more water to her hands while he looked at it with his good eye round as she attached more ice to her fingers.

"You were playing with fire Zuzu…" She said, her smile turning smug as she slowly inched her icy hands towards his bare chest.

"And now," His hands effortlessly pulled on the silk bindings as her fingers trailed down his body again, making him groan and whimper before her lips turned to the places she 'treated' this way, teasing him further before whispering as her last. "I'll show you how _I_ play with ice…"

* * *

_**A/N: Heheh... I think this is the most heated scene I've written about this two so far. XD But it still ended pretty cool, so there. **_

_**Ah, I've even mentioned to some ppl that for some reasons the words Ribbon/Rope/RAEP XD come in a line in my mind XD so yeah... but this fic is rated T anyway, so it's ok. XD**_


	18. ZW Awkward

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 6 – Awkward  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

During the time in which the gaang had stayed in the Western Air Temple their biggest problem had been how to get in the bathroom. There had been just too many of them, and even Sokka's genius schedule could not solve every little problem…

The banished prince just got out of a steaming bathtub when suddenly loud bangs sounded on the door, making him jump in his place. "Who is it?" He called out and his hand quickly got a hold of a towel when someone yelled from outside the door.

"Let me in!" The voice of the blind bandit sounded, but Zuko only smirked, bending most of his body dry before wrapping the towel around his hips.

"Wait until I'm done Toph." Only his hair did not want to cooperate as much as he wanted, because where it did not touch his skin, it remained just as wet as before.

"Com' on Sparky, I gotta use the bathroom…" She banged again. "Have a heart!"

"Too bad, so sad…" He chuckled as a smirk appeared on his face. "Your turn is over, you'll have to wait."

Toph's lips turned into a narrow line before the door. He felt his vibrations, and when she realized that he just decided to sit on the edge of the bathtub, her look darkened. Then as an idea popped in her head she smirked just like the firebender did a moment ago on the other side of the door. "Sparky…" She grinned evilly. "If you don't listen while I'm asking nicely, you _will_ listen when I decide to become harsh."

"Oh yeah?" He asked on the other side of the door, standing up with crossed arms but with a still triumphant smirk upon his lips. "I would like to see you try."

But in reality, when in the next moment the Earth pulled him in, he realized he would rather have not. What surprised him more was that after a sudden pull the stone let go of him, pushing him up and out, leaving him unsteady on the ground with his two feet. But he was still facing the same door.

The blind girl's laughter sounded from the other side. "Well, well… what do you think now?" She sing-sang, making the firebender groan.

"You think _now_ I'm scared? You'll then stay out for the next half hour!" He frowned hardly at the door.

"You'd better look around…" She could hardly say this out while giggling.

"What….?" He started before looking around. And when he did his jaw dropped. He was looking at the same door, but _not_ from the inside.

His face turned stern as he tried not to swear. One of his hands clenched upon the edge of the towel around him, to make sure that it won't fall off before slamming his other hand to the door. "Toph, open up this freaking door at once!" The girl did nothing to let him know whether she heard him at all. The water started dripping down from his semi-long hair, felling on his shoulder and neck… "My clothes are in there, I said open it!"

"Sorry Zuzu…" The voice teased from the inside. "Your turn is over you'll just have to wait."

He gritted his teeth immediately. "If you don't open it at once I'm going to burn it down!" He yelled on top of his lungs, banging on the door again.

"You wouldn't…" She taunted. "Because Katara would kick your butt."

"Hah!" He smirked. "You think I'm afraid of her?" He chuckled. "Don't make me laugh."

"Well then why don't you tell this to her yourself?"

He did not even blink. "Haha, good one Toph, you _almost _had me there!" As the girl did not answer, he on the other hand started to get an uneasy feeling. That type when you're being watched… when someone cleared her throat behind him, he slowly peeked behind from above his shoulder. His hand clenched upon his towel as he turned around with the most embarrassed smile he had ever made. "Katara, hi…" His ears pinked as the waterbender let her lips curl upwards into a smirk while holding a basket of washed out clothes at her side.

"I was just… heh…" He stuttered as his other hand reached beside him to knock on the door again, this time lower before scratching his neck. "Toph, would you be so kind as to open the door?"

The water tribe girl put a hand to her free hip, and leaned her weight on one of her legs while she was watching the scene before her. She had seen the firebender already in only his training pants, so she was rather just curious about how this little joke would turn out. Though she did not deny that in this single towel she could see better how certain muscles of his body looked more toned right above it…

"Toph…!" He said through gritted teeth while he knocked on the door louder.

But to his annoyance the blind bender only laughed inside. "Don't be so jumpy S-sparky… that towel is rather short!" Zuko's blush deepened as even Katara started giggling.

His fist clenched before he hardly banged on the door. "I SAID OPEN THE *Ä|Đ*$ß7ing DOOR!"

The waterbender gasped before her eyebrows knitted together angrily. "Zuko!"

The prince already opened his mouth to retort, when the earthbender called out in a voice which made the older girl sure that her pale green eyes must have shone inside the bathroom. "Hey Katara, what does *Ä|Đ*$ß7 mean?"

The blue eyed girl's look darkened, which made the firebender take a step back. But she only remarked this way as his back met the door. "Way to go, _firebender_. Just be the role-model, she's so ladylike anyway."

"Being a lady *Ä|Đ*$ß7s!"

The older girl's sudden scowl made the prince flinch. "I'm sorry…"

"_That_ is your answer to everything, right?" She asked darkly, which did not ease the teen's flush. As if being soaked and almost completely naked hadn't been awkward enough… "And you, Toph Bei Fong, watch your mouth if you don't want me to wash it out!"

The young girl couldn't help laughing, and that did not help either when another person appeared on the corridor too.

"What's all this yelling abou-…t?" Suki bit her lower lip hard as she tried not to laugh when she stepped into the corridor, just behind the waterbender.

"Oh, there's not much…" She giggled, making the prince flush once again. "Just Zuko being closed out in a towel."

The firebender turned his back on them, knocking on the door with both hands now. "Ok Toph, this is not funny anymore. Let me in…"

"Yeah." The blind girl's voice sounded from the inside. "You're right, this Is not funny anymore…" He let out a sigh as he heard her coming towards the there was a click on the other side of the door he made a relieved smile._ Finally…_

As the door started to open, his hand remained on it, 'helping' the younger girl to come out, but then… The earthbender made a smirk, then with a quick move grabbing his towel's edge, and retreated inside with another triumphant laugh as she managed to slam the door. Zuko's eyes grew wide. So did the two girls' ones outside.

He did not dare to move, but the silence around him was more than enough. For his luck at least he turned his back on them… though… did it... matter much?

"I…" The Kyoshian warrior managed to look away first. After all she had seen this and that before… but her face reddened nonetheless. "I… I gotta go now." She said, whirling in her place then just as quick as she came, she disappeared.

Katara's gaze incredibly slowly moved away from the stunned prince's rear only to realize the pile of clothes in her hands. And, with a blush upon her face, she walked towards him with her eyes closed so that she wouldn't see more than she had already…

He knew that even his neck turned red. He heard her walking towards him… his eyes closed not to meet her gaze. He did not think he could ever look her in the eye…

He almost jumped in his place as something brushed against his shoulder. He snapped his head to look behind, only to see one of his pants hanging from the waterbender's hand, with her eyes closed and her head turned to the side.

His hand got a hold of it he only managed to murmur a low: "Thank you" But the awkwardness of the situation eased a bit because of her gesture.

But he would have never figured out that her eyes opened, even if for a slight moment while he put it on… because when he looked at her again, she already turned away, holding the basket with both hands as the deepest blush spread across her face. "You're welcome…" She said before hurrying away while biting her lips to stop the smile, which threatened to appear there.

Zuko stood in his place with a frown upon his features as she disappeared, really slowly calculating about the last five minutes, when…

The door behind him opened, with a grinning earthbender on the other side. "The bathroom's yours."

She only took a step outside when his eyes narrowed, smoke left his nostrils but when the girl decided to end up in a run he already smirked. "Revenge, right? Now you'd better watch your step!!!"

* * *

_**A/N: Heh... well I think the idea could have done better, but... yeah... anyway Lulzy it iz... XD what do you think?  
**_

_**Btw, long time no see, aye? XD Sorry for the long wait, but unfortunately I've loads of stuff at school - they wanna keel meh! O_o - but once this whole.. nightmare XD is over, I'll update more frequently.**_


	19. ZW Anywhere

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**ZUTARA WEEK 2:**_

**Day 4 – Anywhere  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

There were certain things, which they kept in secret. After all, a fire and a waterbender were not supposed to get along so well during a war. Let alone fall in love…

No matter what, they had to avoid or fight their enemy, and never let their mind open up to the possibilities. But what if two were too young to care, and stubborn enough not to forget after that same war brought them together?

Pale fingers slowly trailed upon dark mocha skin, and he couldn't help chuckling as she nuzzled to his chest as an answer.

They travelled around the world on their separate ways, but every time they could, they met secretly: in the forest, on the beach, by the river, in a shop…

For years now he was no longer following her small group to capture the avatar. He changed his 'target' a long time ago.

She was still sleeping in his arms as the first rays of the sun slowly invaded the room, and he pulled her even closer to him as a smile crossed his features.

"Shouldn't you be going now?" She murmured, but did not move an inch away, only opened her azure blue eyes to meet his golden glance.

He slightly shook his head. "No… not yet…" He whispered before kissing her gently then snuggled to her again. "I don't want to go."

She smiled while her head rested on his bare shoulder. "I'm happy…" She said which made him glance at her again. "The last time we met you disappeared by the time I woke up..." She still remembered how the only thing left of him was his faint scent on the pillow beside her, and the already fading warmth of the sheets he left her in. "When you do that I always think that you're just fooling me…" Zuko's smile faded as she went on without meeting his gaze. "I'm afraid once you'll get bored and never return-"

In the next moment her chin was raised and his lips collided with hers in such passion, which made her moan in his mouth, but she responded just as fierce and rough as she could too… She did not protest as he turned her on her back, and he loomed above her when he finally let her breathe again.

"Never…" He said between two deep breaths, while his eyes hold hers with a mix of love and anger, because of what she'd said. "Don't you ever think that!" His eyes searched hers, before pushing the unscarred side of his face to hers. "If I could I'd take you with me…" He made a smirk and asked with a questioning look. "Or, I could stay here."

Katara let out a light laugh before placing her hand to the left side of his face. "And what would I tell my brother?"

"You could always tell the truth." He said, with a smile even in his golden eyes. "That you've conquered yourself a prince…"

She giggled then wrapped her arms around his neck, making him lean down as she kissed him again, but then a knock sounded on the door.

"Katara?" They broke their kiss, and she looked at the door with widened eyes. "I'm coming in, ok?"

She yelled, but as the doorknob slowly turned, Zuko jumped out of the bed – completely naked – then slammed his hand on the door just as it started to open. A bang and the water tribe warrior's grunt showed that his head just met with it.

"S-sokka, wait a minute, I'm not dressed!" She yelled while hurriedly getting into her blue night robe. She got out of the bed, picking up the firebender's clothes while he hold the door with both hands as her brother wanted to open it.

"What's taking you so long?" He asked loudly.

"Just a minute!" She yelled, before turning towards the door, and she couldn't help making a smirk as her eyes trailed down on Zuko's body. He peeked back at her, giving her a questioning look, but she took her time while walking up to him. "You know, if only we had a bit more time…" She purred lowly, and he suppressed a chuckle with shaking his head as she gave his clothes to him.

"Is someone there?" Sokka asked, and banged on the door again as she leaned to it with her back. The banished prince quickly started dressing up…

"What are you talking about?" Katara shouted, trying to sound insulted. "I'm just trying to get something on, but it's hard while I have to hold the door! Couldn't you just wait five minutes?"

Zuko was already in his boots and pants, but looked around slightly lost before meeting her gaze. "Have you seen my shirt?" He asked with a whisper, but she looked around from her place only then shrugged. She waved to him signing to go, but he stepped to her, kissing her one last time, pressing her to the door when her brother yelled again. "Katara, come on!"

The prince smirked as he pulled away then hurried to the window. He was on the windowsill when she spoke out. "Wait, where will I see you again?" She asked, which made her brother froze for a moment before slamming on the door.

"There Is someone! Katara, who is it?! If you don't open up I'll break the door!"

He only smiled back at her once more. "I'll find you… anywhere you are." He said then disappeared…

"All right, you've asked for it! Three, two, one…!" Sokka yelled, but just as he roared to indeed break the door, she opened it, making him fell on his face.

"Sokka, what are you doing?" She asked with a frown, but as his annoyed blue eyes opened, looking straight under the bed, he knitted his eyebrows.

His hand reached under the bed, pulling out a shirt… "Ahha!" He yelled, but his eyes rounded as he saw its colour. "Oh no… Katara, no…" His gaze met hers as he sat then stood up, but she put her hands on her hips with a defiant look. "No-no… don't look at me like that! I told you: anyone who's not Fire Nation!"

"I'm an adult, I can do whatever I want!" She crossed her arms. "I love him, and that's final."

His lips turned into a thin line. "Who is it?"

She turned her head away, raising her chin which made him swore. "Katara, who…"

In that moment the avatar ran in the room with a frightened look. "Guys, we better get out of here!" He said hurriedly taking deeper breaths. "I've just seen Zuko riding away!"

Sokka's eyes met her sister's round ones. The blush rising on her cheeks told him all… "Oh my god…" He murmured, before the room seemed to spin around him. The next moment his head knocked on the floor.

* * *

_**A/N: **__**Day 4 of Zutara week... the theme was 'Anywhere' and I'll admit this was not what first came to my mind, but somebody else already wrote the 'I'd go anywhere if you're with me' line. XD Shoot.**_

_**So, there. :D My Zutara-Secret-Romance-thingy... (Zuko was a bit **__**Casanova style. XD Skipping out of the window lol**__**)**_

_**And of course Sokka fainted. XD That's a bonus! ;)  
**_

_**I hope you liked it...**_


	20. Anywhere part2

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

_**Well, hi! I planned to only upload 'one shots' here, but as I was requested on deviantArt to continue my Anywhere fic (the 4th day of the Zutara Week) I'm going to add some chapters now which followed that. (I'll mess up a bit the order of the last chapters to make it 'easier' to find these.) Thanks for your understanding.  
**_

**Anywhere - Part 2  
**

By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly

* * *

The waterbender walked in the rented room with a tired smile upon her face. After she closed the door behind her she slowly walked up to the bed, let her bag fell to the ground then she herself fell back against the bed. She stretched her arms before placing them below her head.

Two days of flying straight had always been tiring, but now that they've finally found shelter again it was time to relax. She let her eyes close while sighing happily. But as in the next moment her doors opened loudly, she sat up straight alarmed until her brother walked in with a dark look, closely followed by the teenaged avatar.

"Hey, S-sokka, give it back!" He tried to grab one of the bags the water tribe warrior was holding, but he dropped it in the middle of the room before he poked the younger boy on his forehead with the same hand.

"Nope, this stays here." He made a smirk a bit as Aang rubbed his forehead, but then turned with a narrow look back at his sister. "And you…" He pointed accusingly at Katara. "Are staying here too!"

She got on her feet with a frown upon her features. "Sokka, what are you doing?" Her fists clenched beside her while holding her brother's gaze. "I'm tired, I'm not in a good mood, so don't annoy me and most of all: let Aang go to his room!"

The blue eyed warrior suddenly pulled his machete from his back, making his determination show more. "From now on, _this_ is Aang's room too."

Katara's face flushed but for a minute even she didn't know if it was from anger or rather the fact that even she had known for some time now that the avatar liked her in more than a friendly way.

Even Aang rubbed his neck while glancing to the side. "Sokka, I don't think that this…"

"It is necessary." The brother dropped the other bag down to the ground before waving to Aang. "You stay here, and keep an eye on _her…_" He said, pointing at his sister before putting away his weapon. "While I go and _kick_ some Fire Nation ass!"

Katara nervously scoffed before sitting back on the bed. "Sokka, this is far the stupidest one of your ideas. Just because you think that I'm having an… an _affair_ with _Prince Zuko_, of all people…" She rolled her eyes with a light laugh, but her brother's grunt silenced her.

"Don't you try to hide it! You've slipped already!" He hissed before lifting up his fingers one by one. "First those 'alone times' while you disappeared; then when you were _too tired_ to cook…" Katara couldn't suppress a groan at this as one of the most important signs of her having someone instead of just being fed up… "Then _after_ finding that shirt…!"

"That had already been there." She said, turning her head away defiantly, making her brother scowl.

"I've seen his ship!" He shouted which made Katara's confident smile fade. "Damn right… the last time I thought I was just paranoid, but _this_ time," Sokka's arms crossed. "I've seen it first then after we've neared this port you've suddenly proclaimed that you were tired and that we should land!"

As the waterbender looked to the side without saying anything, Sokka let his hands fall beside him. "Aang," He started with a side-glance before turning in his place. "Make sure she doesn't go out and nobody comes in either!"

"A-all right…" The avatar stuttered bringing his gaze from one sibling to the other. "I guess."

Katara's face darkened as her brother started walking out of the room then got to her feet once again with a yell. "You'll just get captured!" Her eyes were icy blue, and her voice was firm to make him forget about this all. "You'll only make a fool out of yourself then it's going to be Aang and I who will have to save _your ass_ again!"

Sokka stopped as he got to the doorway, looking back once more to meet his sister's gaze, before speaking. "I knew that sooner or later you'd find someone, but a firebender…?" The sorrow in his voice rang in her ears even after she cast her gaze downwards. But his last words felt like stabbing a dagger into her heart. "What would dad say?"

Her hands and knees trembled while she bit her lips. She had to struggle against her tears more than ever in the last six years, after they had found a boy in an iceberg…

"Katara…" Aang asked lowly. "Are you ok?"

She barely made a nod before lying back on the bed, closing her eyes. "Yeah…" The avatar's shoulders dropped as she answered weakly. "I'm fine."

After the young monk sat on the rug in a lotus position, a single teardrop ran down her tanned cheek before she buried her face into a pillow…

* * *

The Dragon of the West blew on the water's surface before leaning backwards with a satisfied sigh. His elbows rested on the sides of the wooden bathtub he was sitting in.

After their ship came to anchor in this Earth Kingdom town his nephew skipped away, just as he frequently did these days, but first gave orders to the crew and _also_ to him so that they wouldn't realize his absence…

But of course Iroh, as a sly old fox, knew better. It was easy to figure out why he would disappear from time to time, just as the rest of the crew sometimes… sailors were welcomed on several places after all. He only regretted that he left without any order, which meant he had to meet with different 'ladies'.

_New woman at every port…_ The retired general slightly shook his head as a smile crept upon his features. "Zuko, you lucky dog…" He murmured ahead of himself when a strange noise sounded from outside of the door. Iroh's eyebrows furrowed at a yell then as he rose out of the bathwater the door suddenly slammed open as a firebender guard flew into the room. The old man was only looking at the fallen man who remained on the ground after obviously being knocked out…

In the next moment a blue clothed man jumped in the room with a raised machete in his hands before shouting. "Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation! You're going to…!" Sokka's voice trailed away as he realized that in fact who he was standing before was _not_ who he was looking for, and his face fell as he understood that _other_ fact that the man had nothing on. He let out a yelp before whirling on his heels, for some reasons turning red. "G-general Iroh…! I… ugh…"

Under other circumstances the Dragon of the West would have laughed out aloud, and even now he could not suppress a smirk while saying out. "Naked or not, it is still not wise to turn your back on your enemy, Master Sokka… I might be old but I'm still a master bender."

The warrior lowly swore before turning back, but still lifted his empty hand before his eyes to cover certain parts of the man who finally grabbed a towel and placed it around him. "_I_…" Sokka cleared his throat as his voice sounded high-pitched first before he frowned, lowering his hands with his weapon. "I am looking for that nephew of yours!"

"Yes," Iroh made a nod. "I think I've already caught that. The question is _why_?"

The water tribe warrior's left eye twitched. "I would rather consult this matter with Zuko himself…" He said through gritted teeth while Iroh sat down on the edge of the tub.

"I see." The old man said before making the water steam again. Then his lips curled upwards into a smile. "The only problem is… my nephew is not here." Sokka gave him a look before he went on with the same calm voice. "But if you want to wait for him here…"

"That bastard…" He murmured before putting his machete away. Iroh bowed his head to the side as the warrior's glare turned suddenly dark. "Let's just say your _prince_ decided to hook up with the wrong guy's sister!"

The old firebender's mouth opened but not a sound left him. Thoughts whirled in his mind about Zuko hurriedly turning away from the ocean's surface, hiding a piece of blue ribbon, staring onto the moon, or when he did not even realize how his clothes were sometimes soaked…

_So that was your little secret nephew? I've guessed it all wrong again…_ Iroh crossed his fingers before his mouth to hide a content smile. "So there is something between him and Lady Katara, is that what you are implying?"

* * *

The darkness had almost been complete thanks to several clouds upon the sky while the fire prince was climbing upwards on the building. He slightly panted as he reached upwards to the third floor's windowsill, while he had to concentrate on not letting his legs slip…

He finally pulled himself up, peeking inside the dark room. For a moment the stars' light reflected on his golden eyes before he caught sight of the feminine form lying upon the bed. The blue clothes and the end of the long braid made him sure of her identity before he smiled softly. "Katara…" He breathed before slowly leaning over the windowsill.

He only did not notice the second shadow which appeared from out of nowhere, and when he snapped his head towards it, he was completely unable to defend himself as a staff shot down at the back of his head and neck, making him fall forward into the room.

The waterbender gasped at the sudden noise and sat up on the bed. When the staff was lifted up again above the crouched form she jumped up with a yell. "Aang, no! Don't hurt him…!" Finally a groan escaped the lying man, but when the avatar's glider hit again a pale hand grabbed it. In the next moment it was the monk who groaned as his own weapon slammed him to the wall…

"No! Stop!" Katara shouted, and out of reflex she let the water from her pouch bend to her will, sending the full amount on both of the fighters.

The next moment she already lit a torch while the two benders stood in the same position as a moment ago, now Zuko holding the grey eyes of Avatar Aang who was held up against the wall by his shoulder…

They were both taking deep breaths, but only one more order from the waterbender made them slowly let go. "I gotta admit…" The scarred bender took a hesitant step back, but now that the blood was not rushing into his brain he almost tripped while doing so, holding the back of his head. He leaned to the wall with a hand but as Katara was rushing to his side, he waved with his other one, stopping her. "I did not expect that."

Avatar Aang was looking wordlessly at the prince before him, and his mind let the things slowly sink in. What Sokka figured out had been true… though this was not only shown by the waterbender's worried expressions but from the fact that the firebender did not bend at all when he had obviously been attacked while climbing in his 'enemy's room'.

Zuko's head still burred before realizing the fact that this time, he screwed the things all right… he tensed as he peeked to the side but the waterbender seemed to be more worried about him than the avatar standing before them. _Damn, it might still be undone…!_

He suddenly let go of the wall and after grabbing her wrist he whirled Katara in front of him, wrapping an arm around her waist while holding Aang's widened eyes. "All right kid, you got a lucky shot…" While he was using his best villain voice, the one person he was trying to cover for started giggling. "B-but… don't do anything hasty or else…"

Even the avatar made a half smile as Katara laughed in his hold, and Zuko groaned before letting her go, placing his hand back at his head. "Damn it Katara, what's wrong with you?!"

The waterbender placed a hand before her mouth until her giggles stopped, but even Aang suppressed a snicker before she said. "Zuko, it's ok. Aang knows."

The prince only stared at her before heaving a sigh and slumping to the edge of her bed. For a moment he remained silent before asking lowly. "How?"

She made a slight smile and as she sat down beside him even Aang leaned to the windowsill, placing his glider beside the wall.

"Remember the last time?" He peeked up at her before she added. "When you've lost a shirt?" The edge of his lips curled upwards as he made a small nod. "Well, Sokka kind of found it."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, and… well Aang saw you on your ostrich horse…" The avatar made a sheepish grin while rubbing his neck, but the apologetic look he showed made the firebender let out a deeper breath.

"So… what now?" He asked looking up, into her ocean blue eyes. For a moment no one said a word while he slowly reached out, holding her hand in his…

"Khm…" Aang cleared his throat making them look up. "You know, I suddenly feel hungry…" Both Katara and Zuko had been silent, waiting for him to go on as he started smiling. "Yeah, and I guess I have to check on Appa and Momo too." He picked up his glider, slowly walking away from the window and heading for the door. "Maybe I won't be back for I don't know…" He looked back from the doorway with a cheerful glint in his eyes. "For an hour or two. So take care…" The duo looked at him with silent thanks in their eyes before he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Sokka arrived back hours later, rather fuming after waiting on the ship for a certain dead man in vain.

At least as it turned out they had an amazing cook.

But besides that he became less and less happy while General Iroh asked him about mainly everything that popped in his mind, which started to feel like having a family discussion… when he said it out straight that his nephew was going to be choked or cut into several pieces though, but the old man only told him not to bother about these things while he was a guest on the prince's ship.

He was walking rather loudly and tiredly on the corridor of the house they were sleeping in this time, heading straight to his sister's room, but when he reached the door and the avatar suddenly appeared in the other end of the corridor his hand clenched upon the doorknob with doubled strength. "AANG!"

The bald monk jumped in his place, only not dropping the bag of food down because of his airbending before nervously grinning up at the water tribe warrior. "S-sokka, hey… how was your…?" The brother grunted loudly then opened the door fiercely.

Katara whirled in her place, holding her blue shirt closed. "Sokka, what the hell?! Get out!" She said loudly, but as she had stood just before the window her brother ignored the fact that she was only in her undergarments otherwise. He hurried to the window, pushing her out of the way as she wanted to stop him.

But when he looked out of the window, watching the few people on the streets and found no one he turned his back on it… to the fire prince's relief, who was still standing on the windowsill of the next room. He only dared to descend when the warrior started angrily inside.

"He was here, wasn't he?!" Sokka shouted before searching through the room.

Aang and Katara looked at each other but they looked back at the water warrior as he straightened up after looking under the bed. This time he found nothing though.

"So?" The brother's gaze moved from one to the other but the avatar only held onto the bag in his hands, and Katara stood with her arms crossed before her chest. "You don't plan to confess?" He asked rather from his sister, but just as she opened her mouth he raised his hand stopping her. "Oh wait, I forgot… I'm _not_ talking to you!" He snapped before glaring at Aang. "And you… I am truly disappointed."

The avatar opened his mouth but then changed his mind, bowing his head. _It's not fair…_

Sokka let out a frustrated sigh. "All right, we're leaving. So put your stuff together." He said before heading towards the door again.

"What?" Aang whined and Katara groaned too.

"Come on, it's the middle of the night! We are tired…!"

Sokka whirled around, fuming. "I _don't_ care, you could have slept while I wasn't here!" He waved with his arms, making the other two look at him with pleading looks, but he frowned then spoke again. "Pack I say, and I'll pay! And Aang, take care of Katara…" He turned halfway before his eyes grew then whirled again. "Gods, what am I SAYING?!" He picked up Katara's bag pushing it in her hands. "_You_ will get dressed then you're coming with me!"

He moved back to the corridor, dragging the Avatar with him too before slamming her door again. "If you want something done then do it yourself…"

* * *

The Fire Prince sneaked back on the ship, but he had been lucky anyway. His uncle arranged another music night…

He basically did not run into anyone onboard, but he remained cautious while reaching his bedchamber. He silently closed the door behind him before leaning to it with his back. He let out a deeper breath before taking a step, but he froze immediately as the candles on his table were suddenly lit.

The lights allowed him to see his uncle's form in the middle of the room, who was looking at him with a knowing smile forming on his lips. "Nephew…"

Zuko straightened up in his place, and made a small smile. "Uncle."

But when his uncle lifted up his hand, revealing a small blue and white hairpin, the smile slowly faded from the scarred bender's face. "I think it is time we had a talk..."

* * *

**_A/N: To be continued... :) mwuhaha XD_**


	21. Anywhere part3

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Anywhere - Part 3**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

* * *

Iroh made the crew prepare tea for them (well, mostly for himself) by the time they sat down to talk. But of course Zuko had never been the talkative type…

After minutes of silence while the scarred bender's gaze moved from his uncle, to the teacups with a side-glance at the blue hairpin which the old man did not let out of his sight then back at him again, Iroh cleared his throat loudly.

The young firebender let out a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose as he gave up. "All right… What do you want to know?"

"Well…" Iroh got a hold of the hairpin with a knowing grin. "You could start at the beginning," He waved with it in the air, followed by Zuko's eyes. "Then go on till we reach the present time."

The prince growled again, but as he still didn't say anything the old man heaved a sigh, lifting his cup to his lips. "So how long were the two of you…" He smirked before finishing it with a sip. "Doing things?"

The younger bender's gaze drifted to the side. "For almost three years…" Iroh managed to spit the tea from his mouth all around, making his nephew look up at him worried. "Are you all right?"

The old man's eyebrows still twitched. _And I haven't realized it in THREE full years?!_ "Y-yes…" He coughed, wiping his mouth. "Though my pride might not get back on its feet for some time…"

"It was not the way you think it happened though…" The prince was looking at his hand as he spoke but a small smile appeared in the corner of his lips. "There was the first time… _our_ first time…" He corrected himself, and his uncle smiled above his cup too while Zuko's one slowly faded. "And then there was that time…" He sighed before looking up. "Remember Chameleon Bay?"

Iroh slightly frowned, putting down his cup. "That five months while Zhao kept us in bay? Oh spirits, you've never been so tense in your whole _life_ for staying at one place for so…" His voice trailed off before adding. "I guess then now I know why."

"Yeah…" His nephew fidgeted in his place. "We were supposed to meet during that time, but of course because of that I couldn't be there…" One of Iroh's eyes narrowed. "Not once out of three times." His uncle's lips formed a 'u' as Zuko's shoulders slumped before he rubbed his neck. "So when I finally met her, you can imagine what she had thought…"

"Well," Iroh lifted his cup again, making the liquid whirl inside it. "She's from the Water Tribes… they are supposedly even calmer than the Air Nomads were."

The prince looked up at him bewildered. "You really should consider some of your proverbs. They are not up-to-date."

"Is that so?" His eyebrows rose.

"Gods… she was _literally_ trying to kill me." A drop of sweat ran down the young bender's temple. "I gained more scars that day than ever before…"

Iroh's lips curled up into a sly smile. "But I presume she made it up to you?"

Zuko's ears pinked as he cast his gaze away. "K-kind of…"

His uncle clapped so loud that he jumped in his place. "Ah, angry love!" His golden eyes almost twinkled. "Oh Nephew, you are truly a lucky one… back in my old days I kind of got involved myself with an assassin girl from the White Lotus, and I can't say that she had nothing to do with my membership later…" He looked ahead of him while in thought. "But those were the days! We had the wildest, craziest… the steamiest…!"

His nephew's face changed its colour from light pink to a pale green then tomato red before lifting his hands up – one to cover his eyes, trying to close out the images of his mind, and the other to finally stop him. "Ok, hold it!" He said, which had basically been the free translation of _'For Heaven's sake, spare me!'_ "It's not like that…!" He tried to say but as the smile disappeared from his uncle's face, he interrupted him with waving his hand.

"Oh, but I hope you don't have any… troubles on that matter?"

"We do NOT have troubles!" Zuko snapped with a scowl, which only made the retired general nod with understanding.

"Why nephew, there's no need getting so angry about it! It can happen with anyone for several reasons." The prince rolled his eyes. "But I have certain _literature_ even on that matter, so why don't you just…"

"Damn it Uncle," His nephew started with slamming his hands on the table. "What I meant to say was that we're not just doing it, I love her!"

For a long moment the Dragon of the West only stared at him with opened mouth and widened eyes. When he suddenly moved towards him without a word Zuko thought that maybe something was behind him, which would have made the old man act, so he peeked back above his shoulder… only to find nothing there. "What…?"

In the next moment his uncle's arms reached out for him, pulling him in a bear like hug with teary eyes. "Oh Zuko, I'm so proud!"

"Uncle, quit doing that…" His face flushed. "You are _choking me!_" He breathed before Iroh removed his arm from below his neck with an apologetic look, but his smile remained as his hands fell on his shoulders.

"I apologize, but I'm so happy for you!" The prince lightly frowned. "I so can't believe that soon I might be the uncle of little Zukos!"

"U-uncle," Zuko lightly flushed again, completely convinced that in his age this must not be normal. "Wait a minute…"

"Ah," The old man's smile brightened. "And how did you ask her to marry you?" The young bender's good eye rounded. "Did she say yes at once, or did she make you sweat a bit?" Iroh asked with a wink, giving a pat on his arm.

Zuko's hand stopped his uncle's one. "Uncle, we're not engaged yet!" He said loudly.

Well, the difference on the old man's face had been visible in a blink of an eye. His eyes narrowed, his eyebrows furrowed, his nostrils flared. "Zuko…" The prince uneasily shifted in his place as the Dragon of the West emphasized his name this time. "Are you saying that you're together with this girl for three whole years, you proclaim that you love her, and yet you haven't even planned to get engaged with her?!" Smoke left his nostrils at the last sentence while his mind added his true disappointment silently. _Which means that I'm not going to see youngsters around, and I still can't tell bed time stories and be the perfect grandfather figure in my age?!_

But the scarred bender did not leave it to that, and answered angrily without thinking about what he would give away. "And who said that I did not plan to?!" The frown disappeared from his face sooner than his uncle's one and he let out a groan while hiding his face in his hands.

"So you do plan it, nephew?" The old man was already smiling as he muffled something in his hands.

Zuko let his hands fall from his face on his knees. "It had been so great, we were fine the way it went. But now everyone suddenly figured it out, and now…" He sighed. "Now it's all complicated…"

"I see." Iroh made a nod. "Her brother is quite mad right now…" He hid his hands in his sleeves. "It would have been better if you told him first." His nephew did not answer, only let his eyes remain on the hairpin at the edge of the small table. "And what about Avatar Aang? What does he think?"

"He's… kind of with us." He said lowly, and his uncle smiled.

"Well, that is good news. At least he'll be on your side once…" He started, but he stopped immediately as there was a bang on the door.

"What the…?" Zuko frowned hardly as he stood up. _Who got so bored of the crew to interrupt us without permission?_ "Who is it?" He yelled and was about to go to the door himself, but in the next moment he froze in mid-step as suddenly a fist formed in the metal door with another loud bang, and then the whole door moved out of its frame slamming loudly onto the ground…

Both firebenders got into defensive stances but they only glared as a figure appeared in the doorway. The green and yellow clothes could not hide the fact that their 'attacker' had been a woman – girl more like it – even though her dark hair veiled the upper part of her face. Her palms were held upwards as she stepped over the door, before she spoke. "It was sure easy to get in _here_…" Her lips curled upwards into a smirk as she tilted her head to the side. "Tell me that at least _you_ are not really who I'm looking for."

Zuko peeked at Iroh for a moment before his narrow gaze moved back to the strange girl.

"Did you just… bend metal?" The old general asked thoughtfully, while the prince suddenly launched forward from his place with a flaming fist.

But Toph's smirk only strengthened as she first stomped on the metal floor, then as her fist shot forward a metal piece left the floor, catching Zuko's wrist, binding him to the wall. "Not so fast." The scarred bender groaned as he tried to pull his arm free, even with heating up the metal around his wrist, but as even then it hold on he started hitting it with his other fist.

Iroh was watching him and the stranger both, but she only let herself grin smugly before lowering her hands, relaxing in her place. "Persistent, isn't he?"

As the next second she let his wrist go free, he growled but as his uncle's arm lifted before him he did not run at her. "Who the hell are you?!"

The girl in green made a smirk again, as if she had been waiting for this moment from the start. "My name is Toph Bei Fong, I'm the Earth Rumble Champion under the name the 'Blind Bandit'," She stomped on the ground to make the whole disappear from the floor. "And the only metalbender the world had seen!" She grinned before lifting a parchment. "And the luckiest gambler on Earth!" Apparently it had been a poorly made poster of someone called the 'Runaway', but it was kind of hard to read as it was turned upside down.

"You're holding it wrong." Zuko coughed with a half-smirk, making her confident one fade.

"Yeah, whatever… it was a bit too much anyway. So..." She shrugged before shoving it to the side. She raised a hand pointing straight at the younger bender and as she turned her head towards him they could see that her eyes had been a shady, pale green. She could not see. "Are you Zuko?"

Iroh raised a hand before his nephew when he wanted to answer. "May I ask you why you are looking for Prince Zuko?"

Toph first opened her mouth then sighed with rubbing her forehead. "Yeah, he's going to find the avatar for me."

The firebenders only blinked, which made the blind bender start smirking again. "Well now… can I get some tea too?"

* * *

Appa groaned loudly as Aang bended the saddle off of his back. "I know buddy…" He said with a smile, patting the bison's head. "Good night for you too." He watched as Momo flew from one of the trees down onto the bigger creature's back, slowly lying down after a tired yawn.

It was then that he turned away from them, slowly walked up to their campfire where the Water Tribe siblings were arguing again. They had been doing that a lot lately…

"No, I'm not going to calm down!" Katara yelled. "You are wrong and you know it, you just don't want to admit it!"

Sokka only mimicked her voice to annoy her while rolling out his sleeping bag, while she only let out a groan of frustration. "And why couldn't we land beside that city like Aang and I offered?"

This made her brother grunt. "Don't you act like you had no idea…" He frowned angrily again. "There's _no way in hell_ that I'm going to do as you or your pander suggests in the time following!"

When Aang stepped into the firelight the warrior's blue eyes caught him at once. "Aang!" The sixteen-year-old avatar flinched in his place before straightening up at once. "I have news for you."

The grey eyed boy raised an eyebrow before Katara snapped. "Yeah, Sokka plans to stand guard beside my bedroll." Her face was dark and even Aang sighed before turning to her brother.

"Sokka, I know that figuring out about Katara and Zuko the hard way was a bit shocking for you…"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT SCUM LIKE HE'D HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER!"

"But he has, even if you can't handle it!" The waterbender yelled, balling her fists, but Sokka only scowled.

"Face the facts, sis…" He hissed through gritted teeth. "He was not a man enough to face me, as your guardian!"

Under other circumstances Katara would have laughed. She loved her brother – well, most of the times – but she had more frequently save him than in exchange. "Because I asked him not to until you've cooled down." She said lowly, her angered expression changed to a calm look.

Sokka did not say anything for a long moment before turning towards the avatar again, but this time his voice was lower too. "Aang, one of us is going to guard the others while they're sleeping." The avatar made a small nod with a sigh. Then Sokka started walking towards his own sleeping bag and as he passed him he hit on his shoulder. "You're first."

Aang's lips turned into a narrow line as his gaze met Katara's, but she rolled her eyes as she gave up. "Good night Aang…" She said before lying down, gazing up at the night sky full of stars. _I freaking can't believe this…_ She thought to herself, before her frown slowly turned into a smile. _Zuko, wherever you are… take care, ok?_ She then rolled to her side, turning her back on both her brother and the poor avatar.

Avatar Aang was sitting on a rock, drawing in the sand of the riverbank they camped beside with the end of his staff while everything had been silent around him. Only an hour had passed from his guarding time when he first heard faint voices. The river made it easier for him to hear the two, nearing from the forest on the other side.

* * *

"So that's why she dumped you?" The girl asked with a small grin.

"She did not dump me, I said we're fine!" The male voice snapped, before his form straightened in his seat on the ostrich-horse. "And s-stop doing that…!"

Toph swore she could hear him blush as he adjusted her hands so that they would rest upon the middle of his stomach, not lower as it had been before. "Doing what?" She smirked, but her voice remained innocent. "I'm just making sure not to fall off."

The prince grunted as he made the animal slow down a bit when they've neared a river. The silence was of course broken by the blind girl again. "Nice abdomen by the way…"

Zuko turned red at once. "Ok, that was enough. Off my ostrich!"

"I thought it's a horse."

"Then off my HORSE!" He shouted, while the girl behind him only pouted as he glared at her from above his shoulder.

"Would you truly make a blind girl walk beside your ostrich at night?" She asked with a faked hurt on her voice.

"You can see better than me, damn it…" Zuko murmured under his nose, making the girl smile again.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you, _Zuzu!_"

His expressions turned deadly in less than a second. "And stop _calling me_ that!" He roared making the girl only giggle. "I'll kill uncle for telling you!"

"Why?" He was literally fuming in the starlight while the blind girl teased him on. "I think it's sweet."

"It's not _sweet_, it's annoying, that's what it is!"

Toph let out a light laugh. "You know, you're truly fun sometimes… I envy that water girl of yours."

Zuko peeked at the girl once again, before turning forward again. "I truly do not know now whether that's a good or a bad thing coming from you." He murmured, but the edge of his lips curled upwards anyway.

Finally, as they reached the edge of the trees the prince could see the river too. "I think we're almost there…" He said lowly, making sure that the girl would remain silent too. He got off the ostrich himself, leading the animal by its leash while Toph was still on it, but she could not decide whether to be flattered about his actions or get off anyway because its movement made her stomach whirl as she could not hold onto him anymore…

When they've reached the riverbank, Zuko stopped as a figure stood at the other side of it. With the glider beside him the avatar was standing knee-deep in the water, signing him to be quiet as he crossed the river with his bending.

"Aang…?" The prince frowned, and the blind girl snapped her head up as the boy in her age answered.

"Zuko, it's not the best of times." He said tiredly, rubbing one of his eyes while trying to suppress a yawn. "Sokka had been rather pissed today…" His voice trailed away as he caught sight of the girl sitting on the firebender's ostrich-horse. "Hum, you are not… alone?"

"Well, it's… this here is Toph, and…"

The girl jumped off the animal, and as she landed the earth seemed to rumble, and both of the guys stumbled to stay on their feet, one of them waving with his arms, the other using his airbending too. "Are you the avatar… _Twinkle Toes_?"

She smirked as the boy raised his staff defensively while taking an airbender stance – which she already knew would be completely unusable against an earthbender. Aang only raised his eyebrows peeking at the fire prince with a questioning look before letting his gaze move back to the girl who let out a small sigh. "_Man_, we'll have a lot to work on…"

* * *

**_A/N: Lol, I realized what this story missed: Toph! ... :) And a bit of more Iroh, hehe XD I just love these two!_**

Hehey... and thank the quick update to the fact that this story is almost completely typed in~ so the next update will be up if I got enough attention, mwuhaha! XD

Yes, this is called black-mailing. The next part depends on you, my curious readers! ;]  



	22. Anywhere part4

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Anywhere - Part 4  
**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

* * *

_It's been so long since Katara had last been at home and now she couldn't explain why but everything made her giggle or smile. Especially as she was watching the three boys – no, men, she should use that term more, they were no longer kids…_

_After Sokka refused her help in building a new watch tower, he became dangerously mad in only mere minutes as its existence was brought to an end by the acts of a reckless firebender. Of course he was just trying to catch a rather cheery airbender, who decided to cover him in snow with a penguin-ride while he was waiting for the waterbender to get ready. But as he refused to wear anything but his rather summer-fashioned Fire Nation clothes, he proclaimed that the avatar had tainted his honour, and his actions were righteous and acceptable._

_And this ended in the three of them getting in the wildest snowball-fight she had ever seen. That's why she couldn't help laughing as the three of them were sitting now, wrapped in blankets, with their feet in basins filled with steaming water. Their noses were faintly red, and they sneezed one after the other, with their teeth lowly chattering._

"_This is a-all your f-fault you know…" Sokka murmured with a side-glance at the fire prince, who only frowned but did not answer. "B-both of you will rebuild that t-tower with me tomorrow, and I hope f-for your sake that it will be as g-good as the finished one had been!"_

_Zuko let out a snort, with a small amount of fire escaping his lips. "I'm not going to pack ice-cubes for you, that stuff would melt around me sooner than it would be done…"_

_The scowl on the Water Tribe warrior's face was deadly. "T-then you'll freakin' wear a parka and c-cut off your s-stupid bending!"_

_At this moment Aang sneezed loudly, creating a whirlwind like movement in the air around them. "Bless you." The other two said in unison before the firebender went on._

"_First, I'm not wearing blue and second…" He let a smirk came to his lips. "I'm not doing peasant's job."_

_This made the dark look change into a smug one on Sokka's part. "W-well, I don't see your c-crown, your highness." This made Zuko hung his head. "A-and as the son of the C-chief, I c-can order you to d-do as I say…"_

_When the firebender opened his mouth to retort, Katara finally let out a laugh, asking. "What would you say if I and Aang bended a tower for you, and then you wouldn't have to worry?"_

_Her brother narrowed his eyes. "T-that wouldn't be the s-same… b-building had been a m-man's job, I c-can do it again-n…"_

_At this she crossed her arms with a dark look. "Why don't you just stop babbling and tell me how many towers you want?"_

_The water warrior's eyes shone up at once. "Y-you would make me m-more towers?"_

_Zuko made a shrug as he slightly shook his head. "Don't bother Katara, he just said it's a 'man's job', leave it to him…"_

_His lips was about to curl upwards, but as his brother-in-law snapped his head towards him with the following words it disappeared at once: "S-shut up, 'fire baby', she was not t-talking to you!"_

_As both the fire prince and the waterbender suddenly flushed crimson, the avatar looked from one to another before asking the snickering Sokka. "Fire baby…?"_

_The blue eyed man laughed out aloud. "D-don't ask…!"_

* * *

Katara knew that she opened her mouth to make her brother close his big mouth, but suddenly she felt as if someone had hit her with a snow-ball. But they were indoors, weren't they…?

As the next moment the image before her turned fuzzy and dark, she tried to force her eyelids to shut more when a second poke came. "Katara…"

She felt that the air around her became warm. The ice-hut disappeared… the warm feeling of her parka around her changed into her holding onto a blanket… "Nnn…" She murmured pulling it above her head, but a hand held her lower arm, stopping her. "Let go Sokka, I don' wanna leave home yet…"

The avatar slightly frowned as she still did not look at him at all. "No Katara, it's me, wake up."

She opened one of her eyes to have a peek. "Aang…?"

The monk made a smile. "Zuko's here."

She blinked tiredly before rolling on her side. "Of course he's here… he has to build a tower for Sokka…" She mumbled with a yawn, but as she closed her eyes again, Aang lightly shook her shoulder.

"No, Katara I mean he's here and waiting for you by the river!" The girl looked ahead of herself but the information was only slowly reaching her brain. "You know, we're in the middle of the Earth Kingdom… Sokka made me stand guard?"

The waterbender suddenly sat up straight. "Oh my god, he's here?" Her blue eyes meeting the avatar's grey ones, and at the sudden excitement in her voice made him smile a bit sadly. He knew that he wanted to see her happy, just like now… but he had hoped for so long that once she would look at him with the same eyes…

He let out a small sigh with a nod. Before she started to get out of her sleeping bag. "Y-you said he's by the river?" She asked but hardly did she make a step, she let out a small gasp, her hand reaching for her hair as she whirled back towards him. "How do I look?"

The avatar's mouth stayed open for a moment, before he made a small smile. "Probably you should let your hair down," He said as she felt her fingers meet with the ruins of her braid. "Other than that…" She undid her hair hurriedly, but she stopped listening to what he wanted to say.

For a moment he was only watching her. He knew that he could have said many things. That she was beautiful… that she had always been… and that he wanted to tell her that for so long now that it almost ached…

But he had seen the way she smiled as she talked about _him_. He remembered how they looked at each other back in that inn before he left them alone... he knew what it was like to fall for someone. And he knew the words she needed to hear.

"You look wonderful." He said, a small but sincere smile appearing in the corner of his mouth, and for a moment her gaze softened as she stepped back to where he was, blowing one kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Aang." She whispered as she pulled away, smiling at him, the way she always had. Kindly and proudly, the way like he had been her brother, son and best friend at the same time. And perhaps he had truly been all of those things to her, and a bond like that would never fade…

He stood in his place for a long moment even after she disappeared between the trees. His gaze moved up to the sky right in that moment when a falling star ran through the deep blue sky. His lips curled into a smile as his gaze followed it in the direction where his waterbending master had faded into the shadows. "This wish is for the two of you then… Katara and Zuko."

He lowly whispered as he thought that no one heard him, but he jumped as someone spoke just beside him.

"Hey sissy," The blind bandit smirked fully while leaning her weight on the avatar's glider. "I'm not fond of waiting while you play the dramatic hero."

Aang let out a great amount of breath through his teeth before whirling towards the girl in his age. "Could you keep quiet? We don't want to wake Sokka…" He said, pointing to the side where in the second blue sleeping bag, the Water Tribe warrior was snoring loudly.

Toph lightly bowed her head to the side, before letting out a laugh. "Seriously, from the sound of it, this guy could only be waken by a dozen komodo rhinos!" As in the next moment the monk's pale palm covered her mouth with a frown, her cheeks slightly pinked at the sudden connection, but fortunately it could not be seen in the faint light. She lightly bowed her head so that her bangs would cover her face more as she punched the boy in the stomach from the side. That made him let go.

"All right." She said, while he gave her a dark look with tired eyes. "I won't wake Snoozeles there, but don't. Touch. Me. Again. Is that clear?" Aang's eyebrow rose but he only gave an 'ok' as an answer, which made her expressions clear at once. "Now then, let's move to start your first earthbending lesson." She said, on an almost tingling voice, and his jaw dropped as she turned and started walking.

"W-what?!" The avatar whined. "But the sun is not even up yet, and I haven't even…"

The blind girl turned to hold his eyes with her shady green ones, and the seriousness was both in her voice and on her face. "Do I look like someone who _cares_ about that?"

He hesitantly took some steps towards her with his eyebrows knitted together. "Did no one tell you _'no' _before?" He asked with a slight smile, but hearing her answer made it fade completely.

"Oh sure they did, but they all sounded more like _'No, please no...'_" She said, imitating a begging tone with tease.

As the girl's smirk fully appeared on her face, Aang slightly paled, feeling as a drop of sweat ran down his temple. "You are a monster…"

"That's my second name." Toph smirked leaning towards him before putting her arms behind her neck. "Right after 'God'." She gave him a wink before walking ahead of him, leading the tongue-tied teen away.

In the meantime the snoring went on, even as the warrior's form slowly turned to look after them with a frown above his now ice blue eyes. After two more of his faked snores, he let his lips turn into a thin line. Then he slowly brought his gaze towards the trees which followed the way to the river, getting a hold of his machete…

* * *

"I've been thinking Katara …" The scarred bender paced around the riverbank, nervously kicking into the smaller stones, while clearing his throat and trying his voice again. "S-so, I think it's time…"

He shook his had, changing to a deeper voice, making a slight smirk. "Katara, after all those things you and I have…" He stopped again as his smile faded. And in the next moment he covered his face with his hands as he groaned into his palms. "You can't even speak in full sentences, you idiot!" As suddenly there was a giggle behind him, his hands let go at once and when he turned around his mouth stayed open at first.

The waterbender stood just at the edge of the trees, her slim figure illuminated by only the moon's light, with her hair falling around her face and shoulder… and yet her smile was what made him unable to think… in that moment her name rolled off his tongue so soft as if he had spoken it for the thousandth of times, leaving one single wish in his mind: if only time could stop right now…

The faintest blush appeared on her face, hearing her name before she walked up to him, while he could only follow her with his gaze. He always loved the way she moved, fluent and graceful which her bending required, quite the opposite of his rough and forceful way...

His lips curled up as her arms circled around his neck and she leaned forward till their noses touched. "Hi…" She whispered, holding his eyes before asking. "Did you have to wait much?"

He did not answer, only pulled her closer with a long but gentle kiss. Her hands slowly lowered to his chest before he looked at her again. "I could wait till the end for you."

The waterbender made a small smile. "Knowing your all-so-famous 'patience', I truly have doubts about that…" She chuckled lightly, but as his expression turned into a small frown she silenced. "So," She felt as his hands moved from around her waist to her hips, with his thumbs soothingly stroking her sides. "What did you have in mind for tonight?"

"I've been meaning… to tell you something…" He started hesitantly as her smile returned.

"So that was the reason for the practice?"

"Well, kind of…" The fire prince seemingly flushed, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand before he started again. "Katara," He looked back at her, but his voice stuck in his throat as her blue eyes tried to read from his expressions.

But then her face softened, her smile encouraged him as she asked. "Yes Zuko?"

He let out a small amount of breath, taking a step away from her before he spoke, while she only let one of her eyebrows rose. "I know that during these past weeks things… got out of our hands," This time Katara's eyebrows knitted together with worry. _Why does he say that? He… he sounds like those times when he decided something on his own…_ She felt as her heart beat louder, and one of her hands clenched before her chest as she stepped closer to him, but he went on anyway. "And I'm also aware of that I can't… offer much because of my banishment…"

"Don't say that!" She said so quick that he snapped his head back towards her as she suddenly hold onto him, her arms around his muscular upper body with her head resting on his shoulder. He opened his mouth to go on, but as he felt her slightly shaking as her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt, his expressions became gentle as he stroked her hair. "I've never asked anything…" She felt her eyes slightly turned teary. "It had always been enough that I knew you loved me! Zuko, please…!"

"Shh," His lips slowly made their way from the top of her head down to her lips, his fingers wiping her escaping tears away. "You thought that…?" He couldn't help a chuckle escape his lips, while she sniffed finally looking up at him. The smile on his face confused her before he spoke out. "Katara, I've been trying to say…" He said and her eyes fell on his hand as he slowly lifted a small blue and white barrette between them. "That you are my princess, and only you it will be."

Her tears stopped. She looked from him to the hairpin, then back but her eyes held a slight confusion. "T-thank you Zuko," She said and she let a small smile came to her face as she reached out for it. "It's… really nice…"

"I.. this… err…" The firebender blinked twice before going on. He cleared his throat before making an apologetic smile. "I guess, I truly avoided the topic of Fire Nation customs about marriage, didn't I?"

The waterbender's eyes rounded as his hand held hers upon the small object, and she felt her blood rush into her brain at the word he used. But his smile remained, holding her stunned look. "You see, in the Water Tribes you have the carved necklaces, like the one you have…" He whispered huskily, while letting his other hand's fingers trail to the pendant at her neck. "But as I know how much this means to you, I wouldn't want you to part from it."

Her eyebrows furrowed, before his hands reached up to stroke her cheek. "And you also know that in the Earth Kingdom they prefer rings as the sign of betrothal." His only eyebrow lightly rose as she concentrated on what she had just heard, and his smile turned a bit more confident. "Do you think you can figure out what is given to the bride by the groom in the Fire Nation…?"

Katara's lips parted. Her blue eyes suddenly lit up as her expressions changed from complete surprise to bliss. "Oh my god…" The firebender felt as most of the pressure suddenly left his chest when her hands pulled his closer to her with the hairpin. "Oh my God!" She squealed making his smirk appear. "Zuko, this…! OH MY GOD! I can't believe…!" She let out a yell before she finally started. "Of course I w…!"

But in that moment, her voice trailed away, because his expression changed in a second from happiness to a pained one, and she could see his eyes roll upwards before he suddenly fell on his knees then onto the ground.

When she saw Sokka, holding his machete in his hand so that he could hit with the handle of his weapon, she felt her blood boil. His eyes were worried as he looked up at her, still standing where he was just a moment ago when he knocked the firebender out. "Katara, are you all r-…?" He wanted to ask hurriedly, but when he saw his little sister's hand clench upon the barrette – which he had previously thought was in truth a weapon of some kind – his mouth stayed open. His expressions changed to an awkward one, and he pulled his hands behind him as he shifted his weight from heel to toe. "S-so… you… were not yelling because… he had… h-hurt… you or something…?"

With every single syllable he formed, her face turned more and more dark, and even the Blind bandit and the avatar froze somewhere in the far end of the forest as a scream echoed through the area: "SOKKA, YOU FREAKIN' HOG-MONKEY!!!!!"

* * *

**_A/N: Finally I'm here! :o Sorry for being so late... I wanted to upload this as a Christmas present, but guess what? My computer got a virus, and it messed up everything for me... I needed to format and put the windows on again but only after I became sure that the b*tch only got the windows and nothing else - I have 2 winchesters, and would have been more than pissed if I lost both._**

**_Ohohoo XD but loll XD I really liked this chapter on my part. XD Sokka lol!! XD - I hope Zuko wakes up soon, or else he is certainly DOOMED! XD_**

**_There's still one chapter after this... ^___^  
_**


	23. Anywhere p5 End of a Dream

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Anywhere - Part 5**

**_~End of a Dream~_  
**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

* * *

Zuko could only see complete darkness around him and his head ached like hell… while he rubbed his eyes so that he could figure out where he had been, even his ears tried to trick him with a low noise he could not recognize. After that he looked around, trying to regain his last memories.

He soon figured out that the noise he heard was caused by the wind. Now he had seen that outside the weather went crazy… it was snowing as if to further keep him away from his ship and his destiny. He hated the snow, because every time it only slowed him down and never once in his life had it helped. Damn, if he had been at home it would have never snowed!

As he shifted in his place did he realize something surprising: beside her sat someone he did not expect: the avatar's waterbender.

He remembered now. He was forced to move into the only cave around here, and she just happened to be there. She tried to keep herself warm in a corner, because this place had otherwise been completely empty, so there was no hope in making a fire either…

Of course when he appeared she was more than ready to fight him. Well at least that's what she had in mind, but he had enough of her damned element than to launch at her without any real reason. She yelled at him that her friends were not here. Guess what? If the news were only halfway true from the last fire navy ship then he probably no longer needed the avatar. In truth he could have done anything and yet the Fire Lord named his sister his heir. His uncle said that there was nothing left to do to change that… that's why he packed and left to 'clear his thoughts'. He might return to the Fire Nation in disguise…

Too bad they would probably want to execute him in public if he did that…

The girl beside her inhaled a deep breath, her arms still wrapped around herself but she would just keep her distance from him, even though she knew he – as a firebender – could have kept her warm. He already made his body temperature rise, but if she just stayed that way… When he could hear that even her teeth lowly chattered, he dared.

She stiffened beside him as his arm touched her shoulder and in the next moment he gained an icy stare to welcome. "I only, I repeat _only_ sat here because there's nothing else in this stupid cave but you _and_ it's snowing." She turned away from him with that but did not move away.

"I just…" He did not go on as she huffed then pulled on his arm, unconsciously yanking him closer. Instantly he faced her narrow look which made him smirk. "If you pull my arm other parts of me can't stay away either." Her lips formed a pout and she let go at once, trying to rather stand up, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry…" Her eyes rounded for a slight moment before he went on. "Trust me, ok? I swore on my honor not to try…"

In the next moment she whirled in her place to face him, shifting her weight on her knees. "What…?" He started, but she shushed him, her eyes focusing on his face. His eyebrows furrowed as her hand slowly reached towards him, and he slightly leaned away as her direction seemed to be the scar on his face… but her hand stopped before his face, covering the area above his lips from her sight.

She stayed like that for a minute, making him frown but after that she gasped, falling on her backside in her haste to create distance between them. He did not quite get what went through her mind, but her widened eyes and her hand covering her mouth made him stay where he was. Then she said something, but he could not understand it through her hand. "What?"

The hand from before her lips pointed at him in the next moment, while her big blue eyes stared into his. "You are the Blue Spirit!"

"Eh…" _Shoot._ The last time he needed his alter ego had happened because of her. Zhao had somehow got ahead of him to catch up with the avatar's group and the admiral bragged how he already had the avatar on board, while they were actually only able to capture the girl. So he went to re-capture the master of the four elements, finding her instead, being threatened with things which even made his blood boil.

So he saved her. What else could he have done? But of course he did not expect that she would want to thank him. With that pushing his mask up to his nose, exposing his lips…

"Me," He let out a forced laugh before getting to his feet. "…as in the fire prince, being his nation's vilest criminal? Don't be…" He retreated some steps from her too. "R-ridiculous…" _Damn her stare…_ As he suddenly felt heat rising to his cheeks, he turned away. _And especially damn her eyes! Too sure and too b… blue to look at!_

His heart beat in his throat, while he tried effortlessly to swallow and keep it together, and that was the time which made her move. Because she was all of a sudden behind him, making him turn towards her. He knew his lips parted to say something, probably snapping at her for being just a silly peasant girl or touching him at all… But then she was suddenly standing on her tip-toes, her lips pressing against his, while her hands hold onto him and he forgot about any of that.

And then she knew. He acted the same way as he did while he hid behind his mask, first stiff as if hesitant to let go and give in, but then his response became more than eager. She felt the same sensations, recognized the faint scent of smoke and firewood as his arms circled her and then… she pushed him away.

He did not understand what went wrong, but he was sure something did when in the next moment he got a slap across his right cheek that echoed in the cave.

He groaned rubbing the side of his face before returning her gaze with a furious one. "What the hell is wrong with you?! One moment you throw yourself at me, then in the other…!"

"Oh, what's wrong with _me?_" She asked angrily, forming fists by her sides. "You tell me! It was you who played the… the 'masked hero' and for what?" Her eyebrows knitted together as his fury slowly faded. "You only wanted to get to Aang through me, didn't you?!" She asked loudly, but as he only averted his gaze she let out gasp. "You did!"

"I-I have… considered it…" He stuttered while rubbing his neck but as she let out a frustrated sigh he added quickly. "But then I've let you go, and did not follow you!"

Her gaze narrowed before she crossed her arms before her chest. "Well _thanks_ a lot for giving me a head start!" She yelled before snapping her head away as he did not respond, only stood in his place wordlessly.

Her lips first turned into a firm line. She had been such a fool… still believing in heroes who helped her, the 'damsel in distress' without anything to gain in return? For some reasons she felt a burning sensation in the corner of her eyes, and she bit her lower lip to balance it. She felt herself humiliated and tricked in the worst ways… if she had known who she had faith in, then she would not have expected anything else, but…

"So," She started so low that if he stood some steps further away he probably couldn't even hear her. "That was what you planned?"

His golden gaze returned to her form, but she did not turn back towards him still. "What do you mean?"

The waterbender's fingers clenched the fabric of her sleeves. "Have you saved me to earn my trust?" Her gaze finally turned to him from the corner of her eyes, but his expressions remained unreadable, just like always. "And after that… when you've seen me at that port," His good eye lightly rounded as she went on. "Was that why you did not warn your crew about me? …about the avatar?"

Zuko's face turned stern under her gaze. He straightened in his place while stepping towards her, trying to intimidate her. "You are imagining things, waterbender." He said, his tone became colder than before, but he still knew that it sounded miserably far from cruel. "I don't need pitiful 'tricks' to get what I want." He stopped only two steps away from her, and she was finally facing him, but with defiance in her ocean-like orbs. "And if I had not sent my men after you, it only meant that I simply haven't recognized you."

"You have seen me." She said with a frown, but he only chuckled. "I caught your eyes, but you did nothing!"

"Don't get too hooked on the idea of me feeling sorry enough for you to let you run."

Her gaze seemingly darkened but not without a slight hurt appearing on her face. "If that is true then what are you doing here? Why have you followed me?" She asked accusingly, raising her chin up.

The firebender scoffed before taking a step back with opened arms. "Have you looked around?" The dark cave they were in had only gained some light from the cave's mouth where the snow fell restlessly, covering the cloudy sky. "There were not many _possibilities_ to get under a 'roof'! Do you think that _I_ did not want to get myself an empty cave?"

While he was shouting, he slightly leaned towards her, making her feel as if he had been towering over her. She averted her gaze and shifted in her place, taking a step back.

"On the other hand…" He started with his only eyebrow raised. "What are _you_ doing here all alone?"

She gave him another icy stare. In truth she had argued with her brother again, before wandering off to cool down. Who knew it would start snowing…? She tried to go back where she came from but probably made a wrong turn, and then it turned cold enough for her to try and get dry in a cave, maybe beside a small camp-fire. And what had come out of it? No fire, only the 'oh-so-mighty' fire _prince_ himself…

"That's none of your business!" She hissed as he smirked down at her, making her palm itch to slap him again.

"You know," His smirk remained on his face as he bowed his head to the side. "Now that I think about it, maybe it was you who led me here…"

She looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"Yes." He said, shaking his head as he took the step towards her, which she retreated before. "How convenient that in April, I suddenly find myself in the middle of a snow-storm then ran into the only waterbender miles around…"

"You are crazy..." She took a step back again, which he made after her too while his eyes held a glint of the smirk on his face. "That's not even possible."

"Oh, is it not?" When her back met the cave's wall, panic mixed with her expressions as he leaned his hands against the wall by her shoulders. She started panting as he slowly leaned in, closer and closer to her before turning to her ear, whispering huskily. "Or are you simply not…" While breathing in, he could feel her scent much more from her hair, a pale hint of the salty ocean air and cheery-blossoms. "…strong enough, to do it?"

In the end he returned to hold her eyes, but he was still so close that their noses almost touched. Her chest rose and fell rapidly while she was watching him with all her senses too much aware of the fact how she wanted to answer to him. But in the end she spoke another way. "Think what you want, but it was not my doing."

The silence between them, while being this close seemed deafening against the blowing wind outside. But he did not plan to break it so soon, and she suddenly didn't even dare to breathe, let alone move.

Her eyes had been crystal clear, like the full moon that managed to break through by the surrounding clouds. He knew he shouldn't have looked into them… now he was surely going to drown…

Then he bowed his head, his face inching closer to her, and as her eyelids shuttered close only then did he close his eyes too. And then as if freeing from her spell he breathed. "I know."

He came to a halt, when he looked at her again, she was watching his face, trying to understand him. _Why… why did he stop?_

"I," He slightly pulled back, a bitter-sweet smile appearing on his face, but his amber eyes shone with regret. "I wanted to tease you… because of fantasizing about your enemy behind the mask."

She blinked really slowly with her gaze confused. She tried to turn her head away with still parted lips as she felt she could no longer hide the whirl of emotions which he caused in this very moment with a painful twist on her heart…

But then his hand caught her chin, and though she let her hand fall upon his chest in a weak attempt to stop him, but he did not let her turn away as he said. "But from the two of us, it was not you who had more sleepless nights since that day."

Her lower lip trembled. Her glance returned to his, while a single tear fled from the corner of her eyes and yet she could not even look more beautiful than in that moment for him.

A small smile hid in the corner of his lips as he went on. "You never needed more than just being yourself for me to recognize you, Katara." She shuddered as her name softly rolled off his tongue, while his hand whipped her tear away then stroke a feather out of her forehead. His golden orbs slowly broke their contact as he let his hands drop. "While without my mask… I…"

Her hand which tried to push him away before held onto his arm so fierce that for a moment it crossed her mind that it might rip his shirt, but she did not let go, not when his surprised gaze caught her sight; not even when she slowly stepped away from the wall; not when she closed the gap between them. Her fingers only relaxed to trail in their own ways when his lips sealed hers and his arms scooped her up from the ground. She remembered how their only blanket laid under them before all of this started… but now all that mattered had been the feeling of his skin, his lips and his warm hands which caressed her in ways she never even dreamed of…

And to get rid of all those needless clothes they had, the sooner, the better.

***

While just laying there she felt as safe and relaxed as if she had been in one of the richest houses of Omashu.

The warmth of his arms and body around her meant much more than any pillow and blanket in the world could have. She never wanted to have more. She did not need anything else… as if she had finally found home after being so far away from her real one.

She smiled softly as she felt him nuzzling against her neck. But then her eyes opened, and with the first rays of the morning sun she understood how reality was different from their little dream world.

Her expressions saddened as she finally asked. "What's going to happen now?"

She felt him stiffen behind her for a moment, but after that his arms wrapped more firmly around her slim waist. "Nothing's gonna happen… I am a prince, I refuse anything to happen." He pulled her closer, earning low giggles as he kissed her delicate neck. "I refuse to get up, not even the Sun can rise up if the fire prince does not allow it to do so."

Katara shifted in his arms, turning towards him while his eyes were closed, and a real smile graced his features. "And what will you do if I want to get up? Will you _order_ me to stay?"

Only his good eye opened, but nothing else changed. "No, I'm going to ask you to do so."

A playful smirk appeared on her face. "Oh… and what if I do not listen?"

This time he leaned on his elbow as he answered with a smile similar to hers. "Then I am going to plead."

The blue eyed girl slowly reached towards his face, tracing the edge of the raw skin of his scar and he leaned into her touch with closed eyes. "But it is time Zuko…"

"Time for what?" He murmured, only looking at her again as her hand moved away.

"Time to get up."

The prince scowled like a child, catching the water nymph's hand to feel her soft skin again. "I don't want to…"

The waterbender's voice suddenly started to echo through the cave as she lightly laughed. "We are no longer kids anymore."

His eyes opened as the warmth of her body left him. "Katara!" The cave suddenly felt darker without her. He sat up, whirling to see where she went. "Where are you?!" He yelled with panic before his gaze caught sight of her, standing in the cave's mouth with her not even sixteen years, smiling like she had back then… when all of this happened once.

"Wake up Zuko," She said softly, her smile remaining on her face as she opened her palm with a small amount of snow. In the next moment she blew it towards him, making all the snow from behind her rush in too, whirling around him in the air, blinding him as he only heard her voice's echo… "Wake up."

***

Then… the prince's eyes slowly opened at a campsite, with the sun high above the horizon. Looking into the same wonderful blue eyes of her as she said the words 'wake up' a third time. And as joyful tears appeared in her eyes, he responded with his softest smile, reaching out to touch her face. "I t-thought firebenders rose with the sun…" She tried to say, but she could not suppress a small sob. She was too worried in the past hours to do so.

_He would have thought that his wish had been to dream on before…_

His smile turned into a smirk when he halfway sat up. "It's an exception that proves the rule."

…_but now he realized that in reality, he wanted nothing more than to wake up, and find her there beside him…_

Then his gaze finally caught sight of her hair. And his heart skipped a beat when he realized that now her hair was not completely let down, but on top of her head there had been a small bun, with the blue and white hairpiece in it. His lips parted before looking back at her, her bright smile saying it all. "You truly didn't know what my answer would be?" Her voice was low and even a bit surprised as he slightly shook his head. And in the next moment he leaned forward, finally catching her soft lips with his rough ones, only realizing it halfway that this was their first kiss as betrothed... and that was not a thought which could hold his passion back.

…_and he wished for nothing more, till the end._

* * *

_**A/N: FINITO!!**__**  
**_

_**^__^ They say that you have to quit gambling when you've reached the top… I kind of think that this suits for stories too.  
**_

_**And as I started this fic as a simple one shot XD I think it got far enough from that, right?  
**_

_**Well, but as I do not want to leave you with unanswered questions, here are some details about the future, the world and what got in my mind:  
**_

_**First: no, Sokka is not dead here. XD Though Katara did not go easy on him, almost choking him in the river but then Aang and Toph came to help him out~ (Just imagine her standing on the sand while only moving her fingers, making her brother dive under and jump out of the river while waving with his arms and yelling the words: "Sorry, Stop and Help" XD in every 5 seconds...) X3  
**_

_**As the avatar did not manage to hold his friend and former crush back from murdering her own brother, "Toph God Monster" started their first fight eagerly. (After all she never had a chance to beat up a waterbender before. In the near future this occasion turned into a kind of habit between them. Two pipers don't fit in one pub.)**_

_**Well, that fight ended in them both being covered in mud, Aang suffering from permanent nose-bleeding while Sokka started to reconsider his opinion about earthbenders being all male and hairy, and felt not only gratitude but a strong feeling of respect towards the blind girl.  
**_

_**Later Sokka and Zuko finally come face to face, talking about their upcoming brother-in-law state, where the Water Tribe warrior did not only manage to make him agree in teaching the avatar firebending, but he achieved that they would all get cabins on the fire prince's ship in the future.  
**_

_**No one seemed to be more content about the whole situation than General Iroh, who was more than glad to have new faces on the ship and at the music nights.**_

_**Sokka seemed to be more than satisfied with the Fire Nation food he could eat from now on. The cook on Zuko's ship was truly exceptional. And one of the scullery-maids always made sure to have something tasty for him if he wanted...  
**_

_**Zuko's and Katara's wedding was held in the summer, only a week before the full moon. Lieutenant Jee had the honor to wed the pair, while both Iroh and Sokka let their tears flow freely.**_

_**After that they were able to get away from the curious eyes as the avatar lend them his sky bison to go to their honey-moon. They spent more than two weeks on a deserted tropical island close to the Fire Nation where they had the steamiest smexytimez in the history. Their first son was born nine months later, under the sign of the Aquarius. (Only 5 years and the birth of his brother later did it turn out that he had actually been a firebender.)  
**_

_**Aang in the meantime learned two elements at the same time, trying to combine them with or without much success, while one thing became clear before him: he moved on after the waterbender's wedding. He had a new crush on the bender with a certain pair of shady green eyes.  
**_

_**Toph did not decide whether to return the feelings of the world's most powerful bender, or try to make Katara's brother finally recognize her... it was a part of another tale.  
**_

_**It was hard to believe that the war finally came to an end.  
Iroh had always known that his brother would cause his own end with his reckless strategies. When he decided to order his troops to burn up the Earth Kingdom, his own heir**__**, Princess Azula, overthrown him by the side of a young captain. There were rumors that the man only cared about her out of self-interest... (**__**but she cared not what people said. It was not their name who he moaned night after night.)**_

_**Unlike her father she realized how continuing the meaningless fight could **__**only weaken their country from that point. So she started peace talks with the other nations, coming to treaties which completely revived the Fire Nation and its remaining colonies.  
She even offered leniency to her banished uncle and brother, with the condition of him returning to the country and marrying legitimately by the Fire Nation customs to a noble woman, chosen by her…  
**_

_**For several reasons they both refused the deal.**__**  
**_

_**Zuko had never became Fire Lord, but that was something that he never mind**__**ed after years of being a husband and a father of two by the side of the world's most beautiful woman. And Katara...?  
**_

_**She had been especially excited about telling the happiest news to her husband. Their family will soon grow bigger... she hoped that they would finally have a daughter. She even chose a name for her. She would be named after that bounty hunter... who first implied that she and Zuko were together. Who knew she would be right...?**_

* * *

_**So, this**__** is my ending kiddos~ **__**I hope you liked it! ^____^ If you have some other questions, don't be afraid to ask!  
**_

_**I'm done, I wish you all a really nice week! ... nicer than mine will be! O_o **__**I gotta learn to my exams. - Your comments will make me survive somehow, m'kay? ^___^  
**_

_**Bye-bye! **_


	24. South Pole

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**~Zutara Place Marathon~ - Beware of da STEAM XD  
**

**_02 - South Pole_  
**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

* * *

Steam floated upwards in the otherwise chilling air of the South Pole, while a female voice broke the silence.

"No-ho… Zuko, wait…" The waterbender giggled while she tried to defend her neck from the lips, which turned their attention upon only her… She was lying on their parkas they put aside. Previously he let his bending melt the snow and ice in a separated area, and now there stood their own hot spring in the middle of ice and snow, which no one else knew about.

He gently caught her wrist while looking in her eyes, then blew a light kiss upon it before putting her hand beside her head. "Let me have my fun…" He said before leaning down again, kissing the same place like before, sending shivers through her body, and then he whispered in her ear. "With your brother always around… it's almost impossible for me to touch you…" She felt as his lips brushed the side of her flushed face before he leaned above her. "To kiss you…" He leaned in, kissing her ever so gently upon her lips that she slightly followed him as he pulled away to speak again. "To love you…" He breathed before she pulled him in another one.

The passion she showed always stunned him first, but it was only enough to fuel his fire inside. As her hand trailed to his chest, he let her push him to his back while she changed their positions – not letting go of his lips for a moment in the meantime – then she looked in his golden eyes. "But the air will be cold…" She whispered and as she pouted her lips above him, he stroked her cheek with a smile upon his face. "And you won't be there to warm me up tonight…"

Zuko's eyebrows furrowed as she said this out, and she almost giggled again at the expressions upon his face. Their wedding was going to be held here in only a matter of days, but her family had strict rules about the two of them keeping their distance till then. As he let out a small groan, she placed another kiss upon his lips, making the scowl disappear from his features. "Let's get in that water…" She whispered in his scarred ear, while her hands were already unbuttoning his thinner upper clothing, and she felt him smirk into their next kiss as he slowly sat up with her in his lap…

They were so lost in that kiss by the time he threw his shirt away, that they wouldn't have recognized the man standing not far from them with opened mouth if that shirt hadn't fallen right on him.

Then Sokka let out a growl throwing the shirt off of him, making the pair's eyes widen. "So this is how you tried to fool me!" The two retreated from each other a bit, while their cheeks flushed.

"S-sokka…" She mumbled, but silenced as Zuko spoke on a strong voice.

"The wedding is almost here, okay? I wasn't trying to…"

"Shut up!" Sokka grunted, and after walking up to the other man, instead of punching him, he threw his parka in his hand before slapping the back of his neck. "Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea how it feels like if That part of you freezes?"

But Zuko just stood with the parka in his hand, then to his surprise blew out a small amount of fire, before letting a smirk come to his lips. "No."

Sokka blinked while his sister chuckled in the background, but narrowed his blue eyes. "I Don't care, get in the house damn it!" He yelled pointing above his shoulder with still a dark look before turning away. "You can hold out for four days… Geez! If you don't want to be remembered as the beast of the South…"

Katara stepped beside him as his only eyebrow rose while he was looking upwards. "Beast of the South?" She shot him a side glance, before he seemingly shuddered. "I just wondered how uncle got the Dragon of the West name…" He shook his head with a grimace while getting on the parka.

When he looked back at her she was smiling up at him again, and his one returned too… but just as he turned towards her, the annoyed brother yelled again. "I SAID IN THE HOUSE!!" With two heavy sighs, the two benders slowly made their way after the warrior. They were about to face a long brother-to-his-sister-and-the-guy-she-chose talk again…

* * *

_**A/N: Well, I did not update for a while now... ^^; sorry about that. I was planning something longer, but my time is supposed to be spent on my diploma. - XD Without much succes so far... lulz.**_

_**So I realized I haven't uploaded more from this "places marathon" me and my friend laughed about some months ago. :) If you ask, the Teashop one was the first of them. XD This is the second... ;) I have some in stock, so tell me if you're interested in MOAR Zutara~ ;D**_

_**Till the next time, have a nice day! ^.^**_

_**P.S.: Oh, I'm so dumb! :O I wanted to say that... well, you see I'm kind of out of ideas. :) So - I can't promise I will be quick with them though ^^; buut - I am opened for commissions! :D **_

_**Which means: I'd like you to give me tips, ideas, (or maybe links to pictures :) you liked or drawn yourselves) to help me out about the following chapters! :)  
**_


	25. Study

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**~Zutara Place Marathon~  
**

**_03 - Study_  
**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

* * *

He's sitting behind the huge wooden table, which the Fire Lords before him used just as he did now. The armchair he sat in was almost the most usual place he had to spend his time, while his thoughts always wandered to where he would have rather been…

His mind brought back the memories of the previous nights… red silk sheets, tan skin, wavy hair, blue eyes… small sounds and movements, strokes and embraces…

And he could hardly concentrate back to what he was doing. Taxes, charges, laws… He let out a grunt while scratching his head. And just when he was about to throw these all away, the door to his study halfway opened. First he saw those perfect blue orbs peeking at him, then her smile as an answer to his. His waterbending Fire Lady... "Katara…" He whispered as if she had only been a dream, and he wouldn't want it to go away.

But then she slowly stepped in the room, her hand keeping the thin robe around herself, and he only leaned back in his chair with a raised eyebrow as he heard the click of a key. When she turned back, there was a mischievous smile upon her lips as she walked towards him and he stood up from the chair, but stayed in his place while holding her gaze.

She cornered the table then stood before him by the time her hand let go. And now he could see that all she wore was a short nightgown under the robe, ocean blue just like her eyes, which he found especially hard to return his glance to. He swallowed as the thin robe slowly slipped off her shoulders while she leaned closer, letting their bodies fit together…

She blew one soft but chaste kiss upon his lips, but before his arms could wrap around her, she pulled away, leaning to his desk. "Surprise…" She whispered with a smile upon her face and for a moment he felt as the breath he let out made the air way too hot around him.

"If you had any idea…" He breathed the words while slowly – really slowly letting his hand reach to her slim waist, then her hips, while he let his lips curl into a half-smile. "How many times I have imagined you here… like this…"

Her legs encircled him from behind, just as her arms did too and for a moment he's just stunned how beautiful she was and how lucky he was… And then she purred in his scarred ear. "And now that I'm here… what will you do?"

A shiver ran down his spine as she let her lips conquer the sensitive skin of his scarred eye, and when she looked up at him she saw the longing in his eyes… those golden eyes she had fallen for in the first place.

Then he showed one of his smirks that always made her heart beat faster, because she knew she could not resist to it ever before. "I have some ideas..." He said leaning down, kissing her between her neck and shoulder… and she shuddered under his touch while he sucked at her collarbone.

Her hands trailed to his muscular chest, helping him get rid of his dark robes while their lips were sealed by the other, both trying to gain dominance… They always knew how to fuel the fire the other had inside. But this time…

It was not real.

The next moment there's a noise just before him, and Fire Lord Zuko jerked awake in his chair. He had to realize he was soundly asleep while leaning on his desk…

His shoulders slightly slumped and a really painful expression appeared on his face, just before looking up to see…

Fire Lady Katara. With exactly the same robe he imagined her in. She stood before his door while leaning to it with her back, and there's a small smile upon her lips. As she took a step forward, he could see that she held the key to the study in her hand… the noise he heard was the key clicking.

In just a blink of an eye his expressions changed completely… and his lips curled up into that same smirk she loved…

* * *

_**A/N: Mwuhaha, good dreams Zuzu? XD**_

_**~But now - besides I'm interested in ur opinion, I'd like to ask what your ideas are? :D Give me tips about what you would want to read, and I'll try my best to write them!~  
**_

And Xyzisme: :D I want to read into your stories first, :D then I'll think about that peanut allergy thing~ ;)

Oh, also... ^^; I'm looking for a beta reader! :) If you felt like pointing out some of my mistakes here and there, just note me or something. Thank you~


	26. Peanuts

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

**Peanuts**

_By__: MrJensen alias Last Butterfly_

_

* * *

  
_

"…and that's how I won the tournament for the sixth time." Toph was grinning while sitting beside the Fire Prince who only managed to try mumbling something – probably some kind of protest – but the blind girl closed her eyes before going on. "And then there was that time when I…"

Zuko let a great deal of air out through his nose before letting his upper body fall into a lying position on the grass. This was vengeance indeed. If he hadn't been afraid of choking because of his own tongue then he might have tried to fall asleep. After all she could not actually see him closing or opening his eyes, right?

It all happened too fast. They were having lunch and then, while still eating a cake of some kind, he felt strange. After swallowing, his tongue seemed to be bigger as if he had bitten on a bee. As he thought about it then he could imagine how the waterbender would have tried something like that against him… but he knew that he should have felt that somehow previously. And just after some awkward attempts to question the above mentioned cook, and only when his lips grew bigger did she ask whether he had troubles with a certain type of nut or not…

"…and then this guy yelled in: 'send her home Boulder'! Then I got so mad that…!"

_This is hell… I died and Agni thought this was what I deserved. _The firebender groaned while covering his eyes, but when he heard low steps nearing him he lowered his hands enough to see a pair of dark boots. His golden eyes slowly trailed upwards on blue clothing, finally stopping at the waterbender's face. The sun was just behind her, making her hair glisten in the sun while covering a certain smug expression as she was looking down at him with crossed arms.

The begging in his eyes might have actually meant something because she heaved a sigh before turning to the Blind Bandit. "Toph, I think you should leave him be for now," She said before flashing a smirk at him. "His simple mind might explode under too much information." Oh, now he could see her true colours… With the lack of words he only scowled at her defiantly, trying to express his own thoughts with this simple gesture so that even _her_ simple mind could understand.

"Ah, all right…" Toph spoke and punched him in the arm before standing up. "Nice talk we had there, _Zuzu_."

Zuko only scoffed but did not let his narrow gaze move away from a certain pair of blue eyes.

Katara on the other hand peeked at the bickering earthbender then hopped down to the younger girl's previous place. She looked at him before asking indifferently. "So how are you?"

He tried to move his tongue in his mouth but of course it did not cooperate.

"Oh of course, you cannot answer… too bad."

When she flashed a smile like her brother used to, his expressions darkened a bit. _At least show some empathy, woman! This is your fault to begin with!_ His inner self roared, but all she could see of that was a glare.

"But…" She shook her head before wrapping her arms around her bent knees. "All right, a part of me feels bad for you as I could not heal this."

_Oh sure, now you say that._

"But you know what?" This time as she turned her head towards him, he found himself elbowing up at once. She was smiling. Truly smiling at him, and not mocking him like before. His expressions eased to a slight frown with wonder as she spoke. "This somehow makes it easier to be around you."

_Ok, I don't think I got that…_

"I mean," She waved to the side. "Aang finally perfected two or three of his moves," She started to play with the grass with one of her hands, her gaze leaving his to concentrate on that. "Sokka lost to you but did not say a word about it,"

Zuko looked at the clouds above them as he thought about that afternoon. That was right. The avatar was not worried what he would say, because at the moment it had been physically impossible. And the Water Tribe boy seemed to feel some kind of empathy, and even mentioned something about her sister's incapability when he had two hooks in his thumb…

"And look at Toph," She smiled on. "She never spent this much time with anyone, much less did she talk about the Earth Rumble Tournament."

_She's very detailed… _He inwardly sighed, but then his good eyebrow rose at another way of thinking._ If she could see she could pick this as a profession too._

Katara slightly frowned at her hand and the grass then cleared her throat before mumbling. "And even _I_ can talk to you now, funny how life is sometimes."

The prince frowned slightly as he sat up, slightly bowing his head to the side. There was something… different about her from that moment. The way her eyes shifted to him before returning to her fingers was a sign of some kind. Too bad his simple mind as she put so well did not know what to think of it yet.

He felt it would be the time to say something, after all that was how things should go. But as his proper state made that impossible, he did something else.

_'Destiny is a funny thing my nephew…'_

One of his hands reached out to hers, his fingers meeting hers upon the grass and from the corner of his eyes he could see how she slightly shivered by this simple thing.

_'You never know how things are going to work out, but if you keep an open mind… and an open heart,'_

At first she was surprised. Her hand stopped as she was looking at the way his fingers circled hers in a gentle manner. Then her gaze slowly met his and as he smiled at her in a way she never knew he could, she did nothing to hide the small blush coming to her face unlike before…

_'I promise you'll find your own destiny some day.'_

* * *

_**A/N: Hi there! ^^; Sorry for the lack of updates but I had to write my diploma. XD Ehm, personally I have some troubles – I've managed to fail on this final exam thing at the university and I can only try it again half a year from now. O__o I'm depressed because of this while I know well that I should learn to this other exam – which will be 2 days from now, but I realized how I needed some boost for that.**_

_**So I brought you sommme Zutara~ mwuhaha! (Nothing could make me feel better than this two! ^^)  
**_

_**The peanut allergy was Xyzisme's idea, I hope you like it! O__O I'm new at requests... (I started reading your fic too, XD but at the moment I don't seem to be able to finish anything… sorry, I will correct this mistake during the summer though!) ^^**_

_**I'll try to get back on my feet myself, but you could prove that the life is still good in some ways…**_

_***coughcommentplz?cough*X3 **_

_**Have a nice week~  
**_


	27. ZW 2009 Jealousy

**I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

* * *

_A/N: Uhm, hi... ^^; sorry for the long break. I realized I haven't uploaded this yet, so it's about time. My only entry for Zutara week this year. Enjoy~ ^__^_

* * *

**ZW 2009 - ****Jealousy**

**_Made by: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly~_**

* * *

The pale woman was standing in the middle of her garden within the Fire Palace. The feeling of her old weapons between her fingers - sharp and cool just as she preferred to think of herself too – gave her strength. Those fed her rage.

The target stood yards away from her painted red, black and yellow, but for some reasons she could only concentrate on the middle of it. The yellow circle hauntingly reminded her of a pair of golden eyes, which met her gaze only once. From the tanned face of a child… the child of the waterbender.

_You can only thank this to yourself. Weren't __you the one who had forgiven him?_

The wind caught in her raven hair as her own golden eyes narrowed. The flame-shaped hairpin was thrown down into the ground beside her and for a moment her glance lingered there. It was pointing out of the grass like real fire.

She was now Fire Lady. She had been the one who gave life to _his_ heir. She was the one who stood by _his side_… through good and bad. But in the end, she was the one left with the bad.

"Zuko," She merely whispered while her hands fell down beside her, disappearing among her dark sleeves. "What happened to us…?"

No one answered her. Nothing moved except the breeze which tried to comfort her.

_Probably… only he could__ have understood. The avatar..._

Mai's lips turned into a firm line. Once Avatar Aang had been teased how he could not let go. He had been way too young during the war to understand how much was at stake. But she was not. She had always known what she wanted. And now that she had it she was not going to let it go, unlike the avatar did in the end…

Jealousy was burning inside of her. Her pride, which _he_ wounded, would never heal. Unlike the scar upon _his_ heart, which slowly faded with each winter he spent up at North.

An affair, no matter how intense it might be or how long it took, would have been acceptable, but this? This… needed much more from her than Mai ever wanted to give.

It was all her fault. She should have never offered to take his place and let him meet up with his former friends.

No, that was not right. At start it was not a problem, but as years passed and she did not go with him… She felt his uneasiness, but somehow she did not know what to do with it. It was easier to let the Fire Lord have his space than keeping him on a short leash. Unfortunately, she did not realize that with this she let _his space_ become a solid distance between the two of them.

It happened years ago. One year, after Zuko returned home, he avoided her. He pleased her so that she would not think of anything, but his conscience did not let him remain silent.

He swore loyalty to her in front of Agni and their nation, and he never believed this would ever happen. But he made a mistake. He was human and that was what humans usually did.

He said that he was sorry. He told her that he still loved her and would never leave her or their son. He said that Katara had been one of his weakest points, but it wouldn't have mattered if _she_ hadn't pushed him away.

And yet, after this Mai could no longer look at him with the same emotions in her heart. Jealousy grew within her month by month. She knew he got letters from the water maiden. She watched how he trained with his son, who looked more like him with each passing day. She knew he tried all, yet she could no longer let him in her bed.

More than a year passed by the time he told her he was heading to the North again. She did nothing to stop him… nor did she in the following year... or the one after that. She had been his wife and the mother of his heir and yet… his heart belonged to another.

Year after year Zuko had returned to the North Pole each winter, while remaining her Fire Lord, teaching firebending to the young Prince. But no longer did he try to get through to her. He respected Mai's unsaid wish not to.

Then one winter the Fire Lady had followed after her husband, only to find out the whole truth. The waterbender gave life to a child. A child with the most amazing amber eyes, just like _his father's_…

At this point her hands fling her weapons, which hit the target, circling the golden middle. Mai had nearly never lost her temper, but that last time had been the worst. Her words cut only like how her weapons could, and she aimed well at everyone who was already aware of what she figured out only then.

She left then, without caring about the future. But now that was the only thing left for her; for both her and her son. She knew it had been reckless, and it also brought its consequences.

The Fire Lord was about to return; with the waterbender and her only child.

_He dared to write down 'her' child!_

In her fury, Mai sent another wave of daggers at her target, all except one hitting it. That single dagger stood into a pillar by the other edge of the garden, making a maiden gasp.

The Fire Lady hurried there, apologizing, while the girl bowed, still slightly pale as she peeked at the weapon. But then she handed out a letter to her, which had changed everything.

Lady Mai's eyebrows furrowed, her eyes widening as she looked up at the maiden. "Is this true?" The girl's expressions turned to one filled of sorrow as she bowed her head. She left before her mistress slumped down onto a tree-trunk.

There was a horrible fire on the Fire Lord's ship. The crew said it had been unstoppable. Though most of them were able to flee with smaller or bigger wounds and burns, but the Fire Lord, the waterbender and her child had never been found. They were either burned to death or drown after the ship sunk. There was nothing they could have done.

In that moment nothing seemed important anymore. Her hurt pride… his journeys to the North… the anger she had years to build up… it was all gone. _Just like him…_

That night, for the first time in years, Mai cried. But only later did she understand that these were tears of forgiveness.

* * *

-- ON A SMALL ISLAND… FAR AWAY--

The sun slowly rose above the horizon, reflecting upon the shimmering waters of the vast sea. The silvery light fell upon the form of a pale man, half of his face marred from a flaming hit he received years ago. Another faint scar rested in the middle of his chest, which mostly differed from his skin only to the touch by now.

He was standing in front of a smaller hut, while his golden gaze was glued to the shore a few meters away. He remained there in silence until he heard someone nearing him, before tanned arms circled his torso from behind. His lips curled up into a smile as the blue eyed woman snuggled against him, letting her cheek rest upon the back of his shoulder. "Again you woke before the sun, and not with it."

The voice of her waterbender always soothed him but this time, as she was about to pull away, he pulled her against his chest, inhaling her sweet scent without saying anything. "Don't blame me," His smile changed a little, pride filling him as he looked back towards the shore, where a small child was sitting, splashing into the gentle waves which slowly circled him. "This time it was your son who woke me up."

The blue eyed woman glanced at the dark haired boy, whose hands rose out of the water, slightly followed by a smaller wave and a splashing sound. This seemed to entertain him so much that he giggled trying to repeat the motion.

"As if you didn't know that only _your son_ could get up so early." Katara squinted at their son first then turned to the man who embraced her with a playful smirk. "A waterbender who is awake before noon…? Our little Lee is going to be invincible."

Zuko's gaze did not leave the boy, his heart filled with both hopes and worries. His life never turned out to be peaceful for too long. _But maybe…_ Golden met blue in a silent glance, his lips pressing against hers softly when their son finally realized them. He stood up from the water's edge, toddling towards them in the sand until he's there, pulling on his parent's clothes. They smiled down at him happily and after his mother lifted him up, the boy's tiny hand reached out to his father's face, touching his scar without fear.

It was in that moment that the ex-Fire Lord could finally relax. Even though he had just given up everything from his past and birthright; making everyone believe that he was dead… he still had much more than he ever hoped for.

_This time wa__s truly going to be different…_

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**_A/N: Hey, ^^; it's been a long time since my last update, but I'm back. :3 And I've started writing something else too... (PaintedZuko~ which I've never done before. :3 Mwuhaha~ but don't blame me next if it turns into steam! XD)_**

**_And about this one here... :) well, first I did not really like this one-shot, because I felt bad for Mai when I wrote it and the things just turned dark in the beginning... but in the end, :) I believe it turned out to be interesting, so it deserves to be uploaded here too. I had an argument with a friend of mine whether Zuko would actually do this, but honestly... if his son from Mai was old enough - like teen-aged, :D ready for the throne~ - and his love for Katara was strong enough, then yes, I think he would. Zuko is good-hearted, and he would have avoided torturing Mai further if he had another choice.  
_**

**_Oh, and it's kind of a Xover too. XD Because the whole idea of Zuko faking his death to live with his love and not his wife came from a Hungarian writer's, Jókai Mór's novel: The Golden Man. (According to wikipedia it's called: 'Timar's Two Lives', 'Modern Midas' or 'The Golden Touch of Midas'...) __Lol, XD Zuko's golden touch. :D_**

**_Also, I hope Mai was okay. She's hard for me to figure out but I wanted to treat her with respect. (Just because I love Zutara doesn't mean I have to bash Maiko.)  
_**


	28. A Lady's Grace

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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_**PaintedZuko~**_

**A Lady's Grace****  
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_Made by Last Butterfly, alias Mrjensen  
_

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After standing up against his father once again, Zuko had finally redeemed himself. He broke his uncle out of his prison, leaving the Fire Nation Capital with the hope that he would not return until the day he could claim his rightful place on the throne.

But his roughest decisions had always come with consequences.

With his actions, the change in his conflicted personality resurfaced while they were hiding in the Earth Kingdom again. Trying to reach its peak, his fever turned worse even faster than before.

Just like during his illness in Ba Sing Sei, nightmare after nightmare haunted Zuko, trying to break his soul within its already weakened shell. Memories of flames, pain and loss… the sneer of the Fire Lord, the taunting smile if his enemies, and the almost disgusted look of his own sister chased after one another in his mind while the fever intensified.

His uncle had been worried about him so much, that he barely left their rented house during the day, and sometimes he had fallen asleep by his nephew's side.

On one of the rare nights though when Zuko was alone, he had seen the strangest of dreams…

--

Rustling of clothes made him stir, but his eyes barely opened only to allow him to see. He could remember a ghostly figure, standing above him in rags. A veil covered a shadowy face, colours of blood staining its skin's surface.

A hand reached towards him in the dark, but to him the fingers looked more like claws; what else could it have been than death itself that hungered for nothing but human flesh?

Weakly he tried to kick the hand away but then the whole world seemed to whirl, making him meet the ground, falling flat on his face.

His heart beat wild in the grasp of the sheets but he abruptly stopped fighting when an ice-cold touch met his forehead. In his fever he guessed he soon would be dead.

His breath stuck in the back of his throat while he tried to pull away, but the hand – because it had indeed been a hand with its fingers surprisingly delicate and soft – disappeared. His head was still spinning but he could hear a female voice, cold like her touch for reasons he did not know.

"You would deserve to be left here, _Prince Zuko._"

The fact that he was addressed by his real name had only felt strange for a minute. After all if indeed the reaper had come for him then he would no longer have any secrets. Finally he managed to free one of his elbows, lifting his head while leaning on a shaking arm.

"_Yes,_ you should leave," _Because I won't go with you… _His throat hurt at his attempt to speak, his mouth was dry and his eyelids were heavy. His golden gaze slowly reached the shadow's face, intending to scare it away."I'm not ready to die yet, you _demon!_"

His view turned fuzzy but he could still see the figure._ 'No, not yet!' _For a moment he tried to stay conscious, waving for it with dismissal, but against all he tried the ghost started to walk towards him as his head knocked loudly on the floor… '_I can't die yet!_'

--

Disguised as the Painted Lady she had been able to skip away from their house, helping wherever she could during the night. She was not able to ignore the moon's call in a place like this anymore.

This city was different than most of the ones she had seen before. In the middle of the Earth Kingdom, far away from the ocean, or even a lake, she felt like a fish on the shore half of the time. She did not belong there and did not even look like any of the citizens, who gave her and her brother looks she sometimes did not wish to acknowledge.

But for the first time after the lost battle on the day of the black sun, she had felt that her powers were needed. The lack of food, the unbearable heat and the long war left a great wound in the area, and even a disease cursed the children and the elderly both.

She made an oath to save as many as she could. Just like in that small Fire Nation town; she would not turn her back on those who needed help.

That's how she knew which house to sneak into, finding the weakened citizens, using her bending to heal most of them.

But if she had known who was lying in that bed, she probably would have looked away…

--

Venomous anger rose inside her she could not put aside even though he was lying on the floor, ghostly pale. "You would deserve to be left here, _Prince Zuko._" Her voice could barely control her hatred.

"_Yes, _you should leave_," _A part of her was stung by his words and she believed that he might have recognized her and that he could read her thoughts. She needed to remind herself that it had been impossible. Probably the illness was talking instead of him…

But then he leaned on his elbow, meeting her glance with eyes which were not broken even then. He had obviously been sick for many days if not a week, yet he still fought against a disease he could not overcome. No matter what she thought of him, he had been a true warrior within.

"I'm not ready to die yet, _demon!_"

She blinked even in that darkness while his accusing eyes shone up at her. And in that moment she felt herself instantly horrible. Shame reached her from the bottom of her heart, her own coldness towards him suddenly made her remember a pair of grey eyes on a wrinkled, old face… the eyes of the last witch of the South Pole, the bloodbender Hama. _"We have to fight these people wherever we can. Wherever they are… with any means necessary!"_

The hatred within those eyes made her shiver when she understood the resemblance of this situation: with the fire prince staring up at her from the ground and her standing above him while doing nothing. The tables were turned; and now… she was like Hama back then.

When his elbows gave up beneath his weight she bit her lower lip, moving towards him at once.

_There's no way I will let you die… _Katara kneeled down by the fainted teen's side, drawing water out of her pouch, making it glow around her hands like gloves.

_I'm not Hama__! I will heal you… and then kick your ass when you can fight back! _

This brought a slight smile upon her face, the shadows dancing upon her painted face while she brought water to his forehead and chest. But when it reached his pale skin, the scarred prince groaned lowly and the water slowly evaporated, turning into steam.

She frowned while inwardly cursing and with a flick of her wrist she made it return around her hands before trying again. She focused harder and cooled the water down further but the body of the exiled young man fought against her powers unconsciously, making it impossible for her to help.

"Damn you," Katara bent more water between her hands, blowing on it until it turned chilly then let it splash on his face. "Wake up!"

Like a dragon that had been kicked, Zuko inhaled sharply, the water turning into a thick fog before he launched up into a sitting position, his hands grabbing the rags of her cloak before her neck. He blew out a greater amount of smoke through his nostrils and mouth while drops of water ran down his face and neck from his hair. "_You…!_" The word escaped his lips with a husky hiss when he pulled her closer, and only when the hat slipped backwards from her head did he come to a halt. The veil fell off with it, revealing her face and his anger left just as fast as it came. His sneer was exchanged by a surprised gaze behind his damp hair. "…you?" He squinted in the darkness, but her big blue eyes and slightly parted lips made it easier to recognize her even against all that red paint. On a night more than a year ago, the girl looked up at him, just like this before he took away the waterbending scroll she had stolen…

Only when the air left his lungs in a series of strong coughs did he let her go. As her hands drew water from thin air Zuko eyed her suspiciously before it started glowing upon her hand. "You started bending after you passed out and didn't let me help you…"

Then his head started buzzing because of his fever, like usual during the last days, he let his tired muscles relax. He leaned backwards, shifting his weight to his hands and arms, finding his blanket only around his lower body. It probably slipped off of him as he got up… seeing his weakened torso made him frown. Damn… looking this weak in front of an old enemy made him feel ashamed. The fact that most of his muscles started to tremble did not help either.

When again her hands reached for his forehead and chest with the cold water he let out a growl, leaning away with a strengthened scowl. "It's _cold!_" Steam rose from her hands again, showing how even while the firebender was awake he was not at all helpful.

"Oh, boo-hoo!" Katara knitted her eyebrows before splashing the remaining water on him again. "Of course it is cold, you have a high fever!"

He halfway cursed, halfway coughed before pushing his hair out of his face, glaring up at her while steam rose off of his body. He was getting tired of her and her water… When he started to feel that his throat was dry of thirst he only cursed inwardly while she was ranting on about something including stubbornness and idiotic firebenders, not noticing anything from his inner turmoil. When he started to listen to her again he raised his only eyebrow, finding that he had skipped a link in her chain of thoughts.

"Would you stop bending and just let it happen?!"

At that he felt his cheek heat up, almost matching the colour of his scar. Why did that sentence remind him of his first time with Mai...?

How should he put it? _That_ was not an instant success. And after breaking up with her in _a letter_, it even further lessened the chance that it would get any better between them.

The waterbender's frown, her flaying nostrils and the way she narrowed her eyes was far from encouraging but at least she could not see into his head. Thinking about one's ex while sitting half naked in front of another girl was not something a Prince should have allowed to himself.

But his fever probably took away his common sense… that must have been it. And this damned heat! He felt strong need to bend some of it away…

When as her healing water touched him, his lips slowly curled up as it sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. No matter how minutes ago she told him to go to hell, but now she used her strange bending on him and damn, it _did_ feel good.

He closed his eyes, letting his head lean backwards and her hand followed him, cooling and soothing in a way different from anything he had ever felt before. A sigh escaped his lips as her powers fought the constant burning inside of him. He felt alive for the first time in days…

Katara glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. His expressions turned calm and his half smile eased even the rough look his blood-red scar had usually given to him. Her hand slowly moved downwards from the firebender's forehead and she couldn't help realizing how he trembled when her hand brushed past his adam's apple. When her hand hesitated just above the base of his neck, she hurriedly turned her gaze away when he opened his eyes.

"Do you… heal people like this often?" His voice was throaty but for a reason she did not know it made her heartbeat become faster.

She looked up at him for a slight moment, but when he caught her eyes it brought some colour to her cheeks before she turned back to 'work' on him. One of her hands remained above his heart, while the other moved lower upon his abdomen. "There are always people who are in need a healer. There is a _war_ going on out there, even if _you_ have forgotten it." She pursed her lips after hearing how bitter she sounded.

For him she looked rather tense, which meant there was still something left unsaid. His smile faded even though he finally found it easier to breathe.

Her cheeks were burning. She wanted to think that she avoided his eyes so that he wouldn't start asking questions, but there was a little voice in her head which said she just enjoyed watching _other_ parts of him more. It only turned her blush deeper, and this formed a little spiral to make her feel more and more awkward by the moment…

"No, I haven't." He answered, bringing her out of her thoughts and making her look at him. His face looked melancholy, which somehow only made her angry at him again; probably because it brought back unpleasant memories.

"Katara, about what happened in Ba S-"

She scoffed and crossed her arms while turning her head away defiantly. "Turn around. I have to do this with your back too."

Zuko sighed, feeling a strange tingling on his skin and in his muscles where she treated him, but the heaviness in his chest already lessened. He turned around reluctantly, catching sight of the circle shaped hat in the meantime. When he felt the freezing water touch his bare back, he clenched his teeth before blurting out. "What's with the rags?"

Then he had to bit his tongue to suppress a groan when unexpectedly her nails scratched down the length of his back. "Talk with _respect_ about my disguise." Katara's eyes had an icy glint. "The Painted Lady is a Fire Nation spirit; she might want to take revenge on you."

The two-times-banished-prince let out a shallow breath while shrugging off her comment. "One more spirit desiring my death wouldn't make much of a difference… I'm stubborn enough not to die." He had a peek at her behind him, a small smirk hiding in the corner of his lips but as he saw her flushed cheeks as her hands touched his back he lifted an eyebrow…

_Damn._ Katara's gaze wandered from his waist up to his neck, as the trail her nails left on his skin became visible. She should heal those too, otherwise he would have some explanation to do to his uncle. And she was not willing to be involved in any crazy tale the Fire Prince might tell about _her._ Nonetheless, when her glowing hands touched his shoulder blades, her eyes grew a bit bigger. She remembered healing Aang's back but he was only a growing teenaged boy… Seeing and feeling the broad shoulders of the firebender brought colour to her face. She bit her lower lip as one of her hands slowly moved with the cooling water, while measuring the difference of the width of his shoulders and his narrow hips…

When Zuko cleared his throat she slightly jumped, both of her hands moving back to his upper back before he mentioned. "I did not know healers reddened while treating someone."

This only turned her blush darker. But she managed to mutter a 'shut up' which caused him to smirk fully. "So _you_ are allowed to stare but _I_ can't even peek?" The way his husky voice sounded made her freeze and the water left her hands as her eyes met his for a silent moment. There was something different in the way he looked at her now, something she had only seen there when they fought up at the North, in the spirit oasis. The thrill of a true hunter reflected in his look…

When she tried to recoil from him, he caught one of her wrists while turning around to face her. The easiness of his movement reminded her how she probably should have left healing him halfway done. He always meant danger to her, and this time did not prove to be any different… and yet, the feeling of the same old way he hunted them from the beginning sent her heart into a well-known race of excitement.

As his free hand with the remainder of her healing water rose towards her face she tried to pull away once more. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry," His gaze was fixated on her features as he whispered an answer. "I just want to see you…" He brought the water to her face, washing away the red paint from her face, everything except the crescent moon from her forehead.

"L-let go of me…"

"Shh," His hold was firm but gentle on her wrist while his fingers removed the paint from her cheeks then hesitantly stopped at her chin before brushing his thumb across her lower lip.

Katara's breathing turned shallow. She had been careless. Healing him completely had been reckless and stupid. Of all the times she had been a perfectionist if it came to her bending abilities _this_ was the stupidest move. And knowing this while still looking into his hypnotic golden gaze made it even more stupid…

She barely even felt how he let go of her wrist then moved to undo her shaggy robe, revealing her Fire Nation disguise, the red top and the same coloured skirt. When it caught his eyes he couldn't help smirking.

"You are wearing red." It was not a question, merely a statement. But for reasons she could not explain it only made her flush again. Red had been the colour of _his_ people, of their banners and of _his_ flames…

"_Not_ for your amusement, I can assure you!"

The way she defiantly raised her chin to free her lips from his touch, meeting his eyes with stormy ones reminded him that very tree-incident from a time long ago. She was like water: soothing, calming, with movements fluent just like her element but her temper… and _those_ _eyes_ of hers held fire and a promise of warmth he had never experienced before…

And that promise pulled him in, like the moon did with the waves even if those crashed against rocky shores. Even if he was the Fire Prince and she was a mere peasant girl from the Southern Water Tribe. The temptation had been too great to resist.

She let out a gasp before his dry lips met her painted ones. The kiss had been unexpected but intoxicating enough to make her light-headed. She did not even realize how her eyes closed until he broke their contact, making her put a hand to her lips when she felt a small pang as if he had electrified them by that. From the look on his face he had to be surprised too, but what made his good ear pink was how her other hand rested upon his chest the whole time. And yet… she did not push him away.

"You _shocked _me." Katara suddenly said, but it had been only one of the millions of thoughts that were running through her head. And probably not the one with the biggest priority.

"Sorry about that, it was not intentional." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I can't control it…"

The waterbender barely nodded when this _other,_ more important thing popped in her head. "And you kissed me!"

This brought the smirk back. "And you let me do it."

"I," Her furious glance turned into a concentrated frown, but she couldn't find a reason to throw at him for that. "I…"

"I _owe _you." Zuko spoke, placing a hand above hers upon his chest.

"Y-yes, you do…" She answered hesitantly, going on with whatever he had in mind while his thumb brushed softly against her hand.

"With more than you would know." He said, slowly lifting her hand up to his face. She first thought she would place it upon the scar on the left side of his face and this, just like under Ba Sing Sei, brought a part of her to the surface which created their bond back then; the same loss and the same war which in the end brought them together again and again to fight each other…

As if time had stopped for a moment for the two of them while holding each other's gaze, then all came crashing down because he pressed his hot lips against her palm, reminding her of the same contact they had a minute ago. A soft moan escaped her before she could have pursed her lips together but the shine in his eyes told her it was already too late.

He leaned towards her and her hand rested loosely in his while he brushed her hair behind her ear. "Allow me to repay that dept, Katara," He whispered huskily his hot breath licking her skin. "I promise you won't regret it…"

Her whole body seemed to tremble when he kissed the base of her neck, her fingers moving into his hair while his hands moved to her bare waist… then she clenched his hair, yanking on him to meet her gaze once more. Even against her reddened cheeks she gave her a look that made him believe she was ready to kill him. He already removed his hands thinking how he crossed the line when she spoke.

"I can bend blood, _Zuko_." Katara said lowly, her eyes not leaving his for a second. "If you try anything, I can stop your heart without thinking about it twice, is _that_ clear?" Even though she knew it only worked under the full moon, but _he_ did not have to know that.

_Impressive__. _The corner of Zuko's lips turned upwards at that. "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to."

When in the next moment it was her who leaned in to kiss him, he let his hands return to where they belonged…

--

His head was spinning. After opening his eyes and finding himself in the same old room he had spent the last two weeks laying he grimaced with distaste. Then…

He realized his fever _was_ gone.

His right arm was spread across his bed and the feeling of warmth upon the sheets beside him made his good eye turn round. He looked around to catch any sign of _her_, anything that could have given away that someone had been in his room but nothing looked out of place. Was he only dreaming?

A smirk came to his face while remembering how 'this dream' had ended. What started as innocent teasing and tasting turned into a rather heated session of pleasing and pleasuring. When she was hesitant he slowed down, when _he_ wanted to stop she told him to go on. Dear Agni… he remembered her moaning his name, his title and half of the gods' names he knew of too. He really hoped those gods had better things to do than eavesdrop on humans in their sleep.

When the first rays of the morning sun finally did not hurt his eyes and he found himself inhaling deeply from the fresh air that came through his opened window. He started frowning.

Because now that he thought about it, he was sure that window had been closed when he fell asleep…

* * *

**_A/N: No, he was not dreaming. And he blushed like HELL when Iroh gave him all these LOOKS during the day. XD - I also thought about leaving him something from Katara's FN underwear, xD but decided against it._**

**_This is just how I like them~ my steamy, pointless, dark and intriguing Zutara! Mwuhaha~  
_**

**_I always miss Season1 Zuko. XD The last time it happened I ended up writing the 'Anywhere' series._**

**_Also, my exam is only a week away - so I'm damned nervous, and needed a little break! - And I'm also sick. Before New Year's Eve... how can I s*ck so much?? MAH. - But this gave the sick Zuko as a base. And then a slightly pissed but already attached Katara, and ta-damm! XD I only let them have sum fun. :3_**

**_So, here I was not So nice with Mai. Bad Tünde, baaad... _**

**_Ah, and this was the first paintedZuko I added to my gallery. ^^; That's too bad. _**

**_But also, this is my last story for 2009 ppl. I wish everyone a Happy New Year! :D Be around ffnet during the next year too! ^____^_**

**_Ps. Hey, :3 help me reach that magical 100 reviews plz, I never had that much before! *___* Pleeease?~  
_**


	29. Dressing Room

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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_**A/N: Wow! :D I've truly reached the magical 100 reviews! :D Yaay~**_

_**Special thanks to NorthernLights25, Liooness,**__** Dreaming 11, DefyGravity2502, KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun and to everyone who is still interested in my work. :) **_

_**The following one-shot is one of my Zutara Places - in which Zuko and Katara can either have some steamy smexytiemz, or they would have if they weren't interrupted. XD**_

_**This one is a modern AU. Enjoooy~  
**_

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**~Zutara Place Marathon~ - Beware of da STEAM XD  
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**_07 - Dressing Room_  
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_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

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The seventh shop. Yes, he counted it. If you had been in his place, you would have done that too.

Katara dragged him from shop to shop, quickly got a hold of a dress or shirt or skirt or some other stuff, sometimes pushing it in his hands or just below his nose asking something like what did he think about it or would it fit with another type of clothing she already had… he always mumbled something as an answer, which sometimes made her smile, sometimes should have made her frown, but today… for some reasons she was in an utterly good mood… even though they hadn't bought anything. Well, at least not yet.

Not that he would mind this, no… he just started to get annoyed with her getting into the dressing rooms, spending there some time, then hurrying out without showing anything, then when he asked about the stuff she brought with her, she only shrugged and put them down. 'These looked horrible'. She said that… but she didn't give up on finding whatever she was looking for. So there they were. The seventh place…

He let out a frustrated sigh looking at his watch. Not that they should have hurried to anywhere, but he just counted the moments he lost from his life that day. Until…

He only looked up when Katara peeked out of the dressing room, calling out for him. He raised an eyebrow as she looked from left to right, then waved to him to make him come closer.

He took a deep breath, slightly even shaking his head, but he walked up to her nonetheless. "What have you…" _Found?_ He wanted to ask, but when he got close enough a smirk appeared on her face, and without thinking, one of her hands reached out grabbing in his shirt, and with a swift move she yanked him in beside her. The next thing he knew he stood inside with his back pressing to the mirror opposite to the door while she made sure that it was properly closed.

She was still wearing her own clothes, the things she brought together hung on the wall, and he slightly frowned as they seemed untouched. Then… she turned back towards him with a mysterious smile upon her lips making him raise his only eyebrow. "Katara?"

She took a step closer to him, and put her arms around his neck while pressing her body to his, letting him feel all her curves. "Success…" She purred, and stood on her tiptoes while kissing him on the lips.

As the kiss deepened he couldn't suppress a low moan as one of her hands slowly trailed downwards upon his chest, but as she slowly moved to blow a kiss upon the sensitive skin of his left eye, he breathed a question. "Y-you… did you plan this…?" He felt her smile upon his skin.

She slowly pulled away, while her finger made semi circles upon his chest, and she bit her lower lip while looking up at him with her stunning blue eyes. "Oh please, why do you think I dragged you through so many shops?"

He answered with a frown. "Because… you like shopping?" He let out a slight chuckle as she poked him in the ribs. "No, really why...?"

She rolled her eyes. "You should have looked around closely instead of sulking." As his eyebrows furrowed, she let out a giggle, and kissed his cheek once before knocking on the wooden surface of the dressing room. "This here… is the best place. It's stabile and…" she waved towards the door. "Covers everything." She said twitching her eyebrows.

Zuko's good eye slightly rounded as he looked around the small place they were in, before returning her gaze with a surprised one. "Are you kidding?" As her smile returned, he only blinked before whispering. "You mean… here? Right… now?"

"Oh Zuzu…" Her eyes bore into his while she leaned so close to his lips that he felt her breath upon his skin, but then her smile turned into a smirk as her lips moved to his neck. "Sometimes you're so sweet…" She whispered before her lips made contact with his skin making him both shiver and feel extremely hot. When her hands wandered lower, she giggled in his neck as his hands slammed to the sides of the booth…

_This was going to be fun…_

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_**A/N: I have good news ppl! :D I have officially finished university! ^___^ I've got my degree in computer science and engineering~ 3 So I can finally relax and forget all the stupid things which I've been taught. XD  
**_

_**Also I realized that I hadn't uploaded more from my "Zutara places marathon" that me and my friend laughed so much about last year. I still have some in stock, so tell me if you're interested in MOAR of the Zutara places~ ;D**_

_**Oh, and I wanted to say that I am opened for commissions! :D Even though I'm a slow, procrastinating, lazy person but my imagination NEEDS TO FEED. XD  
**_

_**So I would like you to give me tips, ideas, (or maybe links to pictures :) you liked or drawn yourselves) to help me and make the following chapters more interesting and/or personal! :) **_

_**Till the next time, have a nice day!**_

_**Ps.: Now that so many of you have proven your existance by helping me reach the 100 reviews then help me get closer to 200! MWUHAHA~ I knooow that you are out there! XD  
**_


	30. Ember Island's Theater

I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

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_**A/N: Wow! :D At the moment I have 111 reviews, X3 I'm so HAPPY~ ^___^ (The first one to review and change it to '112' may have a wish, and it'll come true. :) I say so, it's because of all those "1"s. Believe me, it's going to work!)  
**_

_**Thanks this one to NorthernLights25 who asked for moar~**__** ;) **_

_**The following one-shot is one of my Zutara Places - in which Zuko and Katara can either have some steamy smexytiemz, or they would have if they weren't interrupted. XD**_

_**This one is a re-write of the Ember Island Players. Of sorts. XD Mainly Toph's POV. Enjoooy~  
**_

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**~Zutara Place Marathon~ - Beware of da STEAM XD  
**

**_09 - Ember Island's Theather_  
**

_By: MrJensen, alias Last Butterfly_

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Toph shifted in her seat. The others all went to either the bathrooms or to get food or something else… while she groaned and said that she'd just take care of their seats so that nobody would try to sit there. She didn't know it's going to be a bad idea…

As she was just sitting there she closed her eyes, letting her bending vision look for anything suspicious… or at least interesting or something. But as nothing seemed to be out of place, she just turned her attention to see what the others were doing.

She felt Zuko pacing around, apparently waiting for Katara, who was still in the bathroom… she found it a bit strange though, but whatever… she knew that he always kept an eye on her to make sure she's ok. _Especially since she's in her Fire Nation disguise..._ Toph smirked. Oh yes, she did not involve anyone, but she knew that the prince showed a slight change since that, which others might have not even realized… but she had better 'eyes' for this kind of thing than them.

Sokka, Suki and Aang finally got to the end of the line and now she felt them turning in their places and coming back.

She sighed. _Ok, three out of five is coming. So now there's only…_

When she listened to the other two of their group who was missing her eyes went wide. She expected to find the two of them together now… but… not… like _this!_

The two benders indeed stood beside each other, but instead of _her_ stepping out to the corridor – as she thought and now rather wished for – it was _him _who walked in after her. And now they were in a rather small place… two pairs of arms embracing the other while their fierce movements made them almost look as one…

She pulled her feet up to the edge of her seating while hugging her knees, but as it turned out this damned theater's wooden seats were simply placed upon the stone stairs, and her bending showed only a slightly fuzzy image of everything she probably did not want to see.

She felt as two other figures walked towards the ladies bathroom, but hardly did they open the door their chat stopped then they let the door close rather quickly before hurrying away with their hands before their lips…

Then she saw as one of Katara's hands slammed to the wall, with her head tilted backwards… she even saw as Zuko's figure leaned towards her neck while they did not stop moving, and definitely didn't even plan to do so…

_Gods…_Toph leaned her forehead upon her knees as her face turned red. It didn't help either when in the next moment the cheerful voice of Sokka rang in her ears. "Hey Toph, we're back!"

She swallowed as she lifted her head, only to cover her still coloured cheeks. While he and Suki slumped down to the seats behind her, Aang sat down to his original place beside her in the meantime he was poising two big packs of popcorns in his hands. "Here…" he said with his mouth already stuffed with it. "Popcorn."

The blind girl held it for a moment before making a pout while putting it down beside her. "For some reason… I don't feel like it anymore…"

Aang looked at her with a raised brow and even Sokka leaned forward while he asked. "Really? But you were hungry on the first place…"

Toph turned to the side as she shut her eyes. Now the water tribe boy spoke out. "Are you all right?" She shrugged while not turning back, but Sokka leaned towards her other side then said. "You turned all red…"

"Well I…" She shifted in her place again as her bending could not just stop. She had accidentally seen this and that before in her life… when her parents had their alone time for example… but she always had a bed to sit on and she could get rid of these scenes… but damn! This time she didn't have that escape. "I… don't exactly feel too good… no…"

When Suki leaned forward though, her question did not ease her at all. "Would you want me to go to the bathroom with you?"

"No! Just not the bathroom!" She jerked in her seat then as she gained some weird looks, she made a cough and answered lowly. "I… mean there's no need for that! I'll be ok…" For a while the others were still looking at her and she made a weakened smile. "Really…"

She remained sitting the way she did, leaning her chin on her knees and while her cheeks really slowly returned to their normal colour the others had a low conversation, not to bug her… Still - when the two lovers' final moves ended with one last, eager kiss – she let out a deep breath, rubbing her forehead.

Right in that moment the lamps were turned off, and the crowd slowly turned their voices lower when Aang complained. "Where are Katara and Zuko?"

"Yeah…" Sokka frowned too while looking around. "Toph, can you see them?"

The edge of the blind bender's lips twitched because now that it was over the whole situation became rather funny. "They are on their way now…"

And indeed it didn't take long for them to return to their seats, they murmured some apologies as they passed before Aang, Zuko sitting beside Toph and Katara between him and the avatar.

Sokka leaned forward, asking his sister directly. "What took you so long?"

Katara let out a huff before looking back at him. "First: there was a long line." She said on a louder voice and as someone around them made a shushing sound, she went on a bit lower. "And second… when I finally got to the end of it, there was this girl who tripped just behind me, and managed to rip my dress…" She pointed at her upper clothing, which had a knot just below her right shoulder unlike before. "I tried to tie it myself but I've just made it worse and then…" As she got quicker, her voice became louder again gaining another shush from the side, and for a moment she glared at the voice's owner before saying the last. "So I had to ask Zuko to help me out."

The prince slightly tensed in his place as he heard his name, and especially as he heard the blind bender murmur beside him. But Sokka only raised an eyebrow before asking again. "And why couldn't you ask someone else?"

"I am Not going to ask a total stranger when we're trying not to bring attention upon ourselves!"

"But why were you late?"

Katara's hands found her hips as she scowled up at her brother. "Geez Sokka, I couldn't drag him in the lady's restroom while others were in there! Don't you ever use your head?" She said rather loudly, but she snapped her head towards the previous shushing person, who sank back in his seat before she whispered. "Now could I watch the play without you asking stupid questions? Thank you!" She turned back, facing the stage and couldn't help making a satisfied smile as she crossed her arms before her chest. Because Sokka only heaved a sigh, and didn't say a word as he leaned backwards in his chair.

As Zuko and the waterbender glanced at each other, even his lips curled up into a small smirk. His shoulders relaxed as he finally turned to see the play too.

In all the silence, Toph did not even look towards them, but she finally made a pout and as the prince sat comfortably beside her, she pulled on his sleeve once.

The scarred bender looked at her with a raised brow when she waved with her fingers – signing him to come closer. He leaned a bit towards her, but she only waved again, still not even turning towards him.

When he got close enough, Toph suddenly grabbed in his shirt, yanking him to her eyelevel before speaking through gritted teeth. "Next time before you _'help her'_ make sure _No One_ can _See_ you!"

Zuko's good eye rounded. "Oh no…"

The blind girl's angered frown turned into a smirk, hearing his voice, and she finally picked up her food too. "Oh yes. Since my feet got burned I can see _Much_ better…" She chewed on a piece of popcorn with a wide grin as the prince seemingly flushed while he sank in his seat. "The two of you will have to be _Really_ nice to me after all of this…"

Katara looked at Zuko, whose ears had a crimson colour, and when he glanced up at her and swallowed loudly she raised an eyebrow shifting her gaze to the person beside him…

When Toph made a wave with a wide grin, the waterbender paled. She leaned backwards and tried to become smaller while sinking in her place too. _Oh no, no… she's going to tell… she'll warn Sokka… he's going to kill Zuko… and oh gods, what will dad say?_

Before her thoughts could have driven her to despair she felt something – a slight squeeze upon her hand which rested between herself and the prince. She didn't dare to look at him now, but she let him hold her hand.

Their fingers intertwined upon the wooden seating, and Toph turned her head to the side, hiding that her smirk turned into something softer. _Ok, maybe they'll have to be nicer…_She thought picking up a handful of corns. _But only from tomorrow…_

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_**A/N: Ah, not much has happened since my last update. :) (Oh, but I'm playing with WoW again. ;__; I'm such an addict. Baad Tünde, baaad!)  
**_

_**Also, I am opened for commissions! :D Even though I'm a slow, procrastinating, lazy person but my imagination NEEDS TO FEED. XD So I would like you to give me tips, ideas, (or maybe links to pictures :) you liked or drawn yourselves) to help me and make the following chapters more interesting and/or personal! :) **_

_**Till the next update, have a nice day! ^___^  
**_

_**Ps.: Help me to gain World Domination by leaving me a review! :] Mwuhaha~  
**_


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